How a Russian blogger repeated the famous red paper clip experiment
The new documentary He Traded a Paperclip for a House is about a Russian blogger who set out on an extraordinary quest: he wanted to trade up a paperclip for a house.
Ruslan Chistyakov from the Siberian city of Angarsk always dreamt about having a house for himself and his family, but he couldn't afford it and was even denied a mortgage. An adventurer that he is, he decided to play it differently. He's been impressed by Canadian Kyle McDonald, who traded a red paperclip for a house and was determined to do the same. He outlined what he would do in his blog and got the support of his followers. Ruslan's openness and determination enthralled them, so the word of his venture began to spread.
Starting with the same red paperclip, Ruslan made several very lucky exchanges, each one getting him one step closer to his dream. At the same time, Ruslan's life changed to be anything but ordinary. He quit his mundane job at the plant and moved with his family to the bigger city of Irkutsk to start their life from scratch. He found a job with a businessman friend who offered Ruslan a creative position as an actor. In the meantime, Ruslan's wife gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. It looked like the more challenges Ruslan was taking on; the more chances life was offering him… Did that streak of luck continue, or did Ruslan fail? Watch our film and learn the end of this amazing story!