Cinema

Russian Films 2010 Preview

‘Yevropa-Aziya’

‘Kandagar’

‘Lyubov v Bolshom Gorode-2’

In late 2008 and early 2009, the global financial downturn hit the Russian film industry in a big way. This year is supposed to answer questions about what the industry learned from the crisis and how it has changed. Here is a look at the highest-profile Russian films scheduled to premiere in 2010.

‘Yevropa-Aziya’ (‘Europe/Asia’), scheduled to open in February, turned out to be the last feature by Ivan Dykhovichny, who died in late 2009. The actor-turned-director was best known for art-house pictures, like 1994’s ‘Muzyka Dlya Dekabrya’ (‘Music For December’). In his posthumously released film, based on the play by renowned domestic playwrights Oleg Presnyakov and Vladimir Presnyakov, the director tells the story about a gang of swindlers organizing a fake wedding party on the border of Europe and Asia to extort money from passing vehicles. Several popular TV figures star in the film, including Kseniya Sobchak, Tatyana Lazareva and Ivan Urgant. Sergey Shnurov, the controversial leader of the rock band Leningrad, scored the movie and also stars in it.

Meanwhile, the trend of adaptation of theater pieces for the screen is also continued by the movie ‘O Chyom Govoryat Muzhchiny’ (‘What Men Talk About’), a movie version of the comedy play performed by the Kvartet I troupe. Directed by Dmitry Dyachenko, the movie, which is scheduled for release in March, is basically a series of sketches inspired by ‘men’s talk.’ The movie features, among others, singers Zhanna Friske, Andrei Makarevich and Alexei Kortnev.

Andrei Kavun’s ‘Kandagar’, which also opens in February, is based on true events that took place in 1995 when a Russian cargo plane carrying ammunition for the government was seized by the Taliban. After more than a year in captivity, the pilots were able to escape in their own plane. Several top Russian actors, including Vladimir Mashkov, Andrei Panin and Alexander Baluyev have parts.

One of the most spoken-about projects of recent years, “Generation P”, based on Viktor Pelevin’s 1999’s bestselling novel, is finally being released, scheduled to open in February. Directed by Viktor Ginzburg, the movie with a reported budget of U$6.5 million, takes viewers back into the 1990s, revisiting the epoch through the eyes of Vavilen Tatarsky (Vladimir Yepifantsev), a graduate of a literary institute who adapts to the new capitalist environment by becoming a copy writer in an ad agency. The movie features several prominent actors and pop figures, including Mikhail Yefremov, Renata Litvinova, Andrei Panin, Oleg Taktarov, Leonid Parfyonov and Yulia Bordovskikh.

Meanwhile, the trend of making sequels for more or less successful movies is to continue this year. Veteran director Nikita Mikhalkov has finally completed the first part of his sequel to his 1994’s Oscar-winning ‘Utomlyonnye Solntsem II’ (‘Burnt By The Sun II’), which is scheduled to be released in April. The movie chronicles the life of the first movie’s characters during World War II.

‘My Iz Budushchego-2’ (‘We Are From The Future-2’), directed by Oleg Pogodin, exploits the same idea as the first film, which was released two years ago: present- day youths are mysteriously transported back to World War II, this time to the Ukraine of 1944, finding themselves in the middle of a battle that nearly destroyed the German XIII Corps.

Another high-profile sequel scheduled for release in 2010 is ‘Lyubov v Bolshom Gorode-2’ (‘Love in the City-2), a yuppie love story set to capitalize on the success of last year’s first part.

Viewers will also to see Pavel Sanayev’s ‘Na Igre. Novy Uroven’ (‘Game. Next Level’), a sequel to the director’s gamer movie released last year.

Art house fans should be waiting to see the new feature from Ukrainian/Russian director Kira Muratova, ‘Melodiya Dlya Sharmanki’ (‘Melody for a Street Organ’). The movie focuses on the story of two orphans, sister and brother, who are sent to different orphanages following the death of their parents. The children, who don’t want to be separated from each other, escape and have to live on the streets, fighting for survival on a daily basis.

‘Kompensatsiya’

‘Dom Solntsa’

‘Doch Yakudzy’

‘Kompensatsiya’ (‘Compensation’) by Vera Storozheva, a winner of the Moscow film festival’s main prize, also belongs to the art-house category. This film, which is to come out in November, is a story about two sisters who travel from the province to the capital, after the death of their mother, in a search for their father who left them many years ago.

Another long-awaited art-house release of 2010 is to be ‘Dom Solntsa’ (‘The Sun House’), directed by Garik Sukachyov, a man of many talents, primarily known as a singer, but also with a couple of feature films under his belt. This is a story of love between a hippy and the daughter of a Soviet apparatchik, set in the 1970s.

Among the most notable stabs at a genre movie is the horror thriller ‘Fobos’ produced by Fyodor Bondarchuk’s company, Art Pictures Media, and directed by Oleg Asadulin. The story begins one rainy summer night when a group of youngsters come to check out a new fashionable nightclub located in a former bomb shelter. In accordance with horror genre conventions, the characters soon turn out to be locked inside and have to struggle to get out of the club.

Ruslan Baltser’s ‘V Tsenturia. V Poiskakh Zacharovannykh Sokrovishch’ (‘In Search For Mystery Treasures’), scheduled for release in March, is a mystery thriller set at the end of the Second World War. As the Red Army approached Berlin, a group of soldiers enter an old castle. There, they find mysterious artifacts, which they divide between themselves. In the main story, set in the present- day, an offspring of the old owner of the artifacts, a German baron, comes to Russia in a bid to recover these items.

There is also something this year for fans of Russian animated films. In March, ‘Zvyozdnye Sobaki Belka I Strelka’ (‘Star Dogs Belka And Strelka’) is to be released, a feature-length animated film based on the story of the Soviet space dogs who spent a day in space aboard Sputnik-2 in 1960 before safely returning to Earth. Meanwhile, those who prefer more traditional Russian-themed animation could watch ‘Tri Bogaturya I Shamakhanskaya Tsaritsa’ (‘Three Heroes And The Shamkhan Queen’), a new installment of a cartoon series based on Russian fairy tales, which is scheduled for release in December.

‘Gop Stop’ scheduled for release in April, explores the Russian youth delinquent culture. This is the second major feature by Pavel Bardin, whose last year debut ‘Rossiya 88’ (‘Russia 88’), a chronicle of day-to-day life of several Moscow skinheads, and has stirred a lot of controversy because of accusations of advocating skinhead violence.

In June, ‘Doch Yakudzy’ (‘Yakuza’s Daughter’) by Sergei Bodrov and Guka Omarova, a Russian-German co-production, is to be released. The main character, ten-year old Yuriko, daughter of an influential Yakuza, travels from Tokyo to Rome, when her plane makes an emergency stop in south Russia. The girl’s bodyguards suddenly disappear, leaving her alone in a strange place.

‘Pro luboff’ (‘On Love’), based on a recent best-seller by Oksana Robski and scheduled to come out in September, focuses on provincial girl Dasha who comes to Moscow to work as a speech therapist. Dasha’s luck suddenly changes when a wealthy entrepreneurs hires her.