Movies
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| Section I: Russia Today | ||
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BORN IN THE USSR. 28 UP
In Competition. |
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| 4th part of the cinematic series “Born in the USSR”, made in co-production with Great Britain. This film follows the life of twenty young people born in the USSR, empire already erased from the world map. The first film was made when they are 7 years old. It provides a rare introspective into the life of the post Soviet youth, now 28, and looks into how the political and social changes of 20th century have influenced them. The director’s strive was to show the human life in its perpetuity. The second film of the series is the winner of the prestigious Emmy Award. Recently, in June 2013, Sergey Miroshnichenko became the laureate of the State Prize of the Russian Federation in recognition for his achievement in Arts and Culture.
Festivals & Awards: 22nd Festival «Message to Humanity», Grand Prix at the National « Window to Europe» Festival (2012); Best full feature film award at the «ARTDOCFEST» Festival ( 2012); «Laurel Branch Awards in the category of nonfiction and TV; Laureate of International Documentary Festivals in Leipzig and Amsterdam. |
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CITY “M”
In Competition |
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| And the city was built, even though it did not become the garden city as the poet wanted. Gigantic industrial plant replaced the garden, Molokh replaced the paradise. Through the veil of childhood memories the author draws the portrait of his native town, showing how it saved the country during the World War, strengthened its power during the peace times, zooming into the authentic life of its founders, living inside the real, non-illusionary and poetic Magnetic city. Through the loving sight of the author we experience the city transformations and learn how much it took to turn the tale into reality.
Festivals & Awards: Grand Prix at the 28th International Human Rights Film Festival « Stalker»; ARTDOCFEST nominee. |
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THE TUNDRA BOOK. TALE OF VAKVUKAY – THE LITTLE STONE
Director: Alexei Vakhrushev |
| The strong and wise old man, Vukvukaj – The Little Stone – is the real man of Tundra. His life is inseparably tied to deers. He lives in the very depth of the Chukotka peninsula, in the region of the Chaun Tundra for over 72 years and daily grazes a14-thousand reindeer flock with his fellow teammates. The life of the reindeer herders is full of challenges, but their uncompromising faith in the power of their culture and their ancient traditions helps them to survive. Vukvukaj’s truth is simple and yet full of dignity: as long as traditions of the ancestors are kept intact Chukotka will live.
Festivals & Awards: Russian National «Nika» Award in the category of non- fiction; Russian National Film Critics’ «Belyj Slon» (White Elephant) Award; Russian National Film Archives’ Award with the special mention «Film, worth of federal Archives»; People’s Choice Award at the Documentary Film Festival «Rendezvous with Russia». |
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THE NUMBER OF LIFE
In Competition Part of the original series “Profiles”, this film talks about Irek Zaripov, the 5-time Paralympics Champion, and unveils his so far hidden and yet unknown side. The documentary focuses on almost entire career path of the famous athlete, up until his training for Sochi-2014 Olympics. It contains the rare archival footage of his first non-medal games in Torino, where he was just about to get married, and where his future achievements were yet only a dream. Festivals & Awards: Best Director’s Award at the 6th National Film Competition “Hero of our Time”. |
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YURY SCHEKHOCHIKHIN. ONCE I WAS…
In Competition |
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| Dedicated to a well-known whiter, journalist and a social activist Yury Schekochikhin, this film focuses on his life, his times and his constant strives to fight the injustice. People from his close circle: journalist and chairman of the National Freedom of Speech Committee Pavel Goutionov, Dmitry Mouratov, editor in chief of the Novaya Gazeta, human rights activist Aleksey Simonov, President of the Public Speech Defense Organization, and National Deputy Alexander Gurov, publicist Arkadyi Vaksberg, writers Leonid Zhukhovitsky and Eduard Uspensky, politician Grigory Yavlinsky and others, share their thoughts and recount personal stories about him. The film also contains rare life videos from Yury Schekochikhin’s personal family archive.
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URGENT MATTERS
In Competition |
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| Doctors at the Accident & Medical Centre are forced to take the final decision on the fate of their patients and instantaneously decide whether to transport them to the central clinic or give them the chance to survive. Personages of this film daily take hard moral mission upon themselves. This film about doctors at the Accident & Medical Centre most seemingly answers the demand of the Russian audience for the positive hero. Neither for superman, nor for a superagent or supercriminal, but for a simple human, ready to help you.
Festivals & Awards: ч4 winning nominations, a specially established Diploma mention and People’s Choice Award at the National Documentary Film Festival « Russia»; Nizhny Tagil City Prize for the most optimistic and vivacious cinematic portrayal. |
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DENIS DAVYDOV TRIP
In Competition |
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| 200 years later, the fellow countrymen of Denis Davydov a hero of a Great Patriotic War of 1812 against Napoleon and one of the emblematic Russian war characters, decided to found a monument in his memory. The plan was quite ambitious: to reconstruct Russian traditional open-air public celebrations, reiterate the 1812 battle scene and represent the aristocratic heritage of the 19th century with its popular poetry dedications and ode singing traditions. Film takes us back to the origins of Dionysian feasts where he bitter grain of the nostalgic past that we all so easily crash, will not abandon the eye of an insightful viewer.
Festivals & Awards: Special mention at the Festival of Film Debuts ‘Dvizheniye / Go Forward” for the “Ability to laugh at oneself”. |
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| Section II: Arts and Culture | ||
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CONSTRUCTIVISTS. STUDIES FOR THE FUTURE: RODCHENKO
In Competition |
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| The life and career of Alexander Rodchenko- one of the leading pioneers of Constructivist movement in design, architecture, print media, theatre and film is cinematically documented through his personal diaries, letters and artistic manifests. A unique representation of his original works as well as reconstructed lost items contributes to an authentic portrayal of the only artistic movement that Russian gave to the world.
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JURGIS BALTRUSAITIS. THE LAST KNIGHT OF THE SILVER AGE
In Competition |
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| Jurgis Baltrušaitis is one of the great poets of the Russian Silver Age, an intellectual and artistic movement. A famous poet and a translator, he was the one to whom the Russian theatre owns its discovery of such major European playwrights as Ibsen, Strindberg, Maeterlinck, etc. Shortly following the events of the 1917, he became the Lithuanian ambassador to the Soviet Russia. Thus his efforts to assist entry permit to Marina Tsvetaeva, Konstantin Balmont, Nina Berberova, Boris Zaytsev, Vyacheslav Ivanov, Aleksey Remizov, Mstislav Dobuzhinsky, Leonid Pasternak, Mark Chagall, etc., they would have vanished inside the walls of GULAG like Osip Mandelstam who have rejected Jurgis’ help. The entire life of Baltrušaitis was dedicated to serving and protecting the freedom.
Festivals & Awards: Best Documentary Film Award at the “Literature and Film” Festival (2013); Felix Svetov Award at the International “Stalker” Festival (2012), Maria Tenisheva Award at 6th RFF (2013) |
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THE ODD-WINGED ANGEL
In Competition. Life of Pavel Tchelitchew, the founder of mystical surrealist movement, was full of drama and mystery. One of the most influential artists of the first part of the 20th century, he stayed largely unknown in Russia, his native country. The documentary features his drawings and paintings, as well as interviews with major followers and researchers of his work. It also includes an exclusive interview with his grandnephew, a US film-maker Mark Chelishchev. His other grandnephew Konstantin Kedrov, a Russian poet and a Noble Prize nominee, appears as its host and narrator. |
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PIANISM
In Competition |
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| Pianism is the virtuous playing on the piano. Yet, for the internationally acclaimed Russian pianist Sergey Musaelyan, the central character of the film, this term is beyond its definition. It is his life, his universe, his thoughts and feelings. Sergey Musaelyan was named the Person of the year by the US Biography Reference Center in 1995. Pianism, by Ivan Tverdovsky is hence a thorough immersion into the inner world of the artist. The film’s music score is composed of Mussaelyan’s performances of Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Chopin and other great piano masters.
Festivals & Awards: Winner of FLAHERTIANA, ARTDOCFEST, Window To Europe and MIFF, Non-fiction program “Free Thoughts”. |
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PTIRYCHKA
In Competition Half-bird and half-fish, Ptirychka is a nickname Lina Mkrtchyan. She called herself Ptirychka when she was a little girl. Even though years have past, her voice is still resonant and enchanting. Yet, it is now heard in the church — far away from the city lights and audience’s applause, faithfully accompanying Mkrtchyan’s international music career in the 80’s and 90’s. The documentary was made by a RDFF New York 2012 winner Irina Vassilieva; she tenderly depicts the present life of Lina Mkrtchyan, the astonishing Russian contralto, a rare church singer and an inspiring humanist. |
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ART AT THE FINGERPRINTS
Director: A. Pogrebnoy |
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| In 2010, Alexander Petrov became the Oscar laureate. In 2007 he was the Oscar nominee. His celebrity portfolio includes a number of prestigious titles and awards. Yet, he is simple and modest. He years of journey he choose to return to his home in Yaroslavl, in the Russian provincial town. «Drawing is like breathing» as Aleksander Petrov describes his way to create finger drawn glass animation. His life and his craft is a one whole entity, a light drift of air, miraculously left still at rest amidst the ever-wondering universe of Creation.
Festivals & Awards: 2012 Honorable participant of the ARTDOCFEST and FLAHERTIANA. |
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SOLO FOR LUDMILA ULITSKAYA
In Russian, without subtitles The documentary unfolds in the train which is according to Ulitskaya herself is not totally coincidental. “My entire life is the pathway”-she says. This particular trip from Saint-Petersburg to Moscow is simultaneously an ode to one of the central Russian literary symbols and a ride through the life of Ludmila Ulitskaya from her childhood playground park to a family cemetery. |
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SECTION III: Presenting Russian Film Festivals
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FOLLOWING BACH
Not In Competition |
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| Each and every single one of these names represents a legend of a contemporary Russian music scene. Here they are –composers-minimalists Vladimir Martynov, Sergey Zagnie, Anton Batagov and Pavel Karmanov, the life music “classics” seating on an old sofa inside an old apartment, talking about times and arts that follow Bach and asking themselves whether there is anything after Bach.
Festivals & Awards: Grand Prix at the International ArtoDocs Festival (2010) |
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LOOK AT ME
In Competition |
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| The story is quite simple: a young actress is looking for a job. Everything else in this story, full of light and laughter, is slightly unusual. Irena Musskara turns out to be an Italian, trying to make a living in Moscow… She is as young, inspiring, spontaneous and talented as most of wonderful and beautifully spontaneous girls of that age could ever be.
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SECTION IV: RUSSIAN-SPEAKING DIASPORA |
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Вторая жизнь. Boston
In Competition |
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| The subjects of this documentary had left Russia for United States on the verge of the 1990s. Immigration has hence separated their lives in two. New realities, gains and losses, creative self-realizations «on the opposite side», «Russian Boston» in its past and present are the major themes of this documentary.
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| SECTION V. SPECIAL DEDICATION TO RUDOLF NURIEV: 75th Anniversary
Serge Gollerbach, US artist, academician of the National Academy of Design, are to host of this program’s special event. Serge Hollerbach was a friend of Rudolf Nureyev and nephew of Anna Udaltsova, Diaghilev’s ballerina and Nureyev’s first dance teacher. |
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RUDOLF NUREYEV. THE REBELLIOUS ANGEL
In Competition |
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| The Sleepless Angel tells a story of a little Tatar boy, born into a poor family, grown up to become a star. God kissed his forehead. A few years later Anna Udaltsova, Sergey Diaghilev’s ballerina will come into Rudolf Nureyev’s hunger-filled childhood. GULAG’s victim, she’d appear out of no-where and lead him onto the path of an ever-burning success. He would later become a world famous «asylee», inspire stages of Paris, London, Sydney, Tokyo, conquer the heart of Americans. Passionate, freedom loving, tireless- he would forever become the star of hundreds of unbelievable myths and legends.
Festivals & Awards: 2012 Moscow International Film Festival’s Documentary Section; 3rd Film Festival dedicated to R. Nureyev «Nureyev. Ballet and Film» (2013). |
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RUDOLF NUREYEV. FAREWELL, MOTHERLAND
In Competition |
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| Documentary is based on the movie-script written by famous Tatar artist and writer Rabit Batulla. The film tells us about Rudolf Nureyev’s long awaited visit to Kazan in 1992. It was a place of his mother’s birth. It is based on Nureyev’s encounters with Kazan’s leading artists and stories of those, who witnessed his rare performance on the stage of the Tatar Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet, who has been the key initiator of his return.
This World Premiere Event is made possible due to a gracious support of the Ministry of Culture of Tatarstan. |
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| SECTION VI. Youth about Youth | ||
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WIDE EMBRACE
In Competition |
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| Could you really feel the pain, poverty and despair of an 80-year old when you are only 17? To be frank, not everyone has got that gift and not always does it come into play. Once you realize that your visit is so dearly awaited and so much hoped for at the elders’ residence, it scares. Yet, you cannot turn around and leave. You cannot let them down. That is how you realize that the real charity is not only to collect clothes, buy food or write letters to the elders. It is to give out yourself, your body and soul fully and completely, to change yourself. That is the tough way that these 17-year-old volunteers of “Age and Happiness” charity organization have decided to take in order to master and understand the world.
Festivals & Awards: National “Laurel Branch” Award for the Best Documentary Film at 7th «Flahertiana» Film Festival; Community Spirit Award at the 23rd “Russia” Film Festival; Special Laureate’s Diploma of the 27th International “Radonezh” Festival; Special Diploma of the Samara department of Cinematographers’ Union Special Jury Diploma of the 5th Russian National Festival ” Sol Zemli” (Salt of the Earth). |
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THE SECOND HOME
In Competition |
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| The director and film’s characters are almost the same age: Darya is a Norwegian student, Zhenya and Yulia – two teenagers of orphanage in Petrozavodsk. At first sight, this is the only thing they have in common. Orphans are outsiders of the society from birth. Protected by the loving hands of childcare system and its educators, they are totally separated from normal social ties and structures and need to master these skills right from scratch in order to become fully functional in the society. The process of this social adaptation is lengthy and not always successful. Yet, the teens know exactly what they want: no less than “Be heard and appreciated”. Isn’t it what every young person in the world wants? They do speak the same language, the language of youth and faith in the future. That is what links so strongly people on the opposite sides of the screen.
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I’VE GOT FEELING, SORRY
In Competition (Rated R) |
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| The film is a three-part study of love, based around three female stories. Time, circumstance and society precisely defined their roles in life. Every one of them seems to be a good actress, attentive and open to the demands of the director. One immerses herself into the world of money, the other into the world of the child, the third one does sees no further than an upcoming evening. That is how their roles have been distributed. Yet, they all think and dream about love, the great ideal love. In his turn, the young director tries to represent the fine and fragile inner world of his characters’ feelings, adding up an aesthetic and tender touch to their basic hopes and desires.
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| SECTION VII: Remembering Second World War | ||
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MY GREAT WORLD WAR. IGOR NIKOLAEV
Not In Competition |
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| Monologue-based documentary tells the story of World War II lieutenant-mortar Igor Nikolaev. He talks about his war experience and challenges and even though over six decades have passed since, it is still a trace hard to erase from the memory. His narrative is simple and sincere. Yet, as Victor Astafyev, а Soviet novelist put it: «There are as many wars as there are soldiers.» Every veteran sees his own truth and fights his own war.
Festivals & Awards: Best Documentary Series Award at the ARTOCFEST 2012; National «Laurel Branch» nominee (2012). |
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PILOT IN TIME
In Competition |
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| You not only ought to declare your past, you’ve got to keep it safe from the oblivion. That is the principle by which the hero of the film, Sergey, lives. His photographic works excite memory, combining two different eras, contemporary St-Petersburg and blockade taken Leningrad, in one space.
Festivals & Awards:Best Director Award named after Eugene Parfenov for the “multifacetedeness”; 9th International Festival of Marine and Adventure Films “Sea is calling”, St-Petersburg, 2012; Participant of the 20th National “Window to Europe” Festival program, 2012. |
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