SCHASTLIVY NEUDACHNIK (HAPPY FAILURE)

Screen version of Vadim Shefner’s novel of the same title.

Although the film is set up in Leningrad of the 30’es there are neither arrests and executions, nor agression and everyday betrayal. The life is unstable, hysterical and even absurd. Nevertheless, the boy who is the lead character of the film, is happy. His early years are blissful, love is real, people around him are good-natured and cheerful.

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  The film was awarded the Special Prize of the XYI International Festival of Films for Children and Youth in Moscow (19940; the Main Prize of the 1st International Festival of Films for Children and Youth in St.Petersburg (1994); the Grand Prix of the International Children Film Festival in Chicago, USA (1994); the Main Premium of the “Okno v Yeropu” (“The Window to Europe”) International Film Festival in Vyborg (1994); the “Spectators’ Favourite” Prize at the International Festival of Films for Children and Youth in Zlin, Czechia (1994).
  

The film is loosely based on Russian prosaic works of the 19th century. Alexander Sokurov re-reads the pages of the famous prose in his own manner. Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s “Crime and Punishment” was chosen as ideological pivot, a historical landmark but not the basis of the story.

Gustav Mahler’s vocal cycle was recorded by vocalist Lina Mkrtchyan specially for this film.

1255 TY U MENYA ODNA (YOU ARE MY ONE AND ONLY)

1993, 94 min., color, “Lenfilm”, “Informpresservice”, “Astur”

Melodrama

Director: Dmitry Astrakhan, screenplay: Oleg Danilov, camera: Yuri Vorontsov, production designer: Masha Petrova, misic: Alexander Pantykin, sound: Alexander Dudarev

Cast: Alexander Zbruyev, Marina Neyolova, Svetlana Ryabova, Viktor Glagolev, Irina Mazurkevich, Alexander Lykov, Vladimir Kravchenko

Yevgeny Timoshin, an ex-boxer and now an ordinary engineer gets the opportunity to change his life. Young and beautiful Asya who has been in love with Timoshin since childhood offers him to go to America with her. She loves him as ever and is prepared to offer him a job and take him to America for training. But Timoshin is fond of his wife. Having overcome a number of temptations and trials husband and wife stay together...

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  The film was awarded the Grand Prix of the Presidential Council at the Open Russian Film Festival in Sochi (1993); the “Silver Pyramid” Prize and the Prize for the Best Actress’ Work of Marina Neyolova at the International Film Festival in Capri (1993). The NIKA Prize for the Best Actress’ Work went to Marina Neyolova (1993).
  

The film is based on a true story that was extensively covered by the Russian mass media and caused a sensation on TV. A young woman — police officer investigating especially dangerous crimes — falls in love with the man under investigation, hands him a weapon and attempts to help him escape from prison.

The film is based on the short story of the same title by a German writer Hans Erich Nossak.

A fairy tale story of a girl Hanna and a young man from the deep sea alternates with the pictures of life in the provincial German town in the days of World War II and the reminiscences of Hanna’s first love. Fantasy and reality, spiritual and mundane are flicking through the memory of the heroine...Fantasy and reality, spiritual and mundane are interweave in the film to create a fusion of black and white images with Bach’s music.

1258 AKT (ACT)

1994, 86 min., color, “Troitsky Most”, “OGNON Pictures” (France)

Detective melodrama

Written and directed by: Alexander Rogozhkin, camera: Valery Mulgaut, production designer: Viktor Zhelobinsky, sound: Nikilai Astakhov

Cast: Igor Sergeyev, Katya Migitsko, Sergei Migitsko, Tatyana Kuznetsova, Valery Mironov, Yuri Orlov, Viktor Bychkov, Igor Golovin, Danya Gudkovskaya, Alexei Poluyan, Boris Cherdyntsev

The film tells about the misfortunes of an ordinary man, Igor Sergeyev, who by chance came into possession of a case with a lot of money in it.... As it turns out, it is not easy to find a decent use of the money and at the end the hero realizes the old truth — “it is not money that makes people happy”.

Ex-convict Sergei and a lonely woman Vera find their brief happiness in an abandoned village located on the radiation contaminated territory. It is here, on this piece of land left by people and by God, that the two people start a new life, getting acquainted and attached to each other. It is here that they experience love — for the first time in their lives.

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  The film was awarded the “Silver Bear” Prize and the Prize of Peace at the 44th International Film Festival in Berlin (1994); the “Silver Sail” Prize at the 2nd Festival of Russian Cinema in San Raphael, France; the Prize for the Best Actor’s Work at the Open Russian Film Festival in Sochi (1994).
  

Loosely based on Alexander Belyayev’s novel “The Island of Lost Ships”.

The firm is set in the beginning of the century. Three people meet on an ocean liner: a young girl, dreaming of love, a police agent and a man he follows — a young engineer accused of committing a murder. As fate has willed it they find themselves overboard in life jackets in the open sea. The current takes them to an abandoned drifting barge. Here takes its beginning the love intrigue which will have a tragic end.

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  The film was awarded the Special Prize of the Jury at the 3rd KINOSHOK Festival in Anapa (1994); the “Swan Song” Prize to the film director Victor Aristov; the Prize for the Best Actress’ Work to Anna Molchanova at the 3rd KINOSHOK Festival; the Crystal Prize of the Participant at the “Arsenal” International Film Festival in Riga; the NIKA Prize to Nikolay Astakhov for the Best Sound Producer’s Work (1994).
  

Based on Valery Bryusov’s novel “Last Pages of Diary of a Woman”.

The film is set in St. Petersburg in 1907.

Young and independent Natalie has everything one needs to be happy: a charming child, a rich, loving and generous husband. Nevertheless, her encounter with a stranger on a bird market changes her life...

Based on Franz Kafka’s novel of the same title.

The hero of the film — the Land Surveyor — has been invited by the Castle to do some work. Coming to the Village he is surprised to find out that no one expects him. He tries to assert his rights but runs into impregnable blank wall of hostile world. Penetration into the Castle becomes the purpose of his life. For the sake of this purpose he betrays the woman he loves, experiences humilations, deceives and loses himself...

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  The film was awarded the Cinema Club Prize at the KINOTAVR-95 Open Russian Film Festival;the NIKA Prize for the Best Production Designer’s Work went to Vladimir Kartashev (1994); the NIKa Prize for the Best Costume Designer’s Work went to Nadyezhda Vasilyeva (1994).
  

The handsome hero of the film is compelled to work off his debt in a rather unusual way: by the oldest trade.

Loosely based on Anton Chekhov’s story “In a Gorge”.

A simple life story of the Tsybukins close merchant family is turning first into a drama and eventually into a tragedy. The episodes of the film are in tune with our days: a drive for making easy money, police bribery, false money, unpunished murders...

1265 LUBOV, PREDVESTIYE PECHALI (LOVE, THE OMEN OF SORROW)

1994, 96 min., color

Melodrama

Director: Viktor Sergeyev, screenplay: Vladimir Yeremin, camera: Yuri Shaigardanov, production designer: Viktor Zhelobinsky, misic: Sergei Kuryekhin, sound: Asya Zvereva

Cast: Irina Metlitskaya, Andrei Sokolov, Olga Drozdova, Yuri Balabanov, Olga Samoshina, Svetlana Gaitan, Vsevolod Kuznetsov, Yuri Tomashevsky, Galina Zakhurdayeva, Gali Abaidulov

The film tells about the sinful fatal love of a young artist for the wife of his close friend. Young good-looking people live solely by their emotions and passions. However, the trivial situation is heated by

premonition of mortal danger which eventually overtakes the lovers.

1266 NA KOGO BOG POSHLET (A GIFT FROM HEAVEN)

1994, 77 min., color, “Lenfilm” in association with “First and Experimental Film”, ROSKOMKINO

Comedy

Written and directed by: Vladimir Zaikin, camera: Mikhail Levitin, Vladimir Vasilyev, production designer: Pavel Parkhomenko, misic: Alexander Yakovel, sound: Alexei Shulga

Cast: Larisa Udovichenko, Stanislav Sadalsky, Leonid Torkiani, Maria Lobacheva, Sergei Migitsko, Yevgeny Lebedev, Igor Dmitriyev

Love story of heroes of the comedy unfolds in a rather unusual way — from having their adult son to introduction and first kiss.

Based on “Krutoyarskaya Tzarevna”, a novel by Yevgeniya Tur.

The film is set in Russia of 1773. The sixteen-year old owner of Krutoyarsk estate, the richest fiancee, a beauty and an orphan is a tasty morsel for bachelors.

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  The actress Tatyana Abramova was awarded the “Mother of Pearl” Prize for the Best Actress’ Work and the actor Alexander Lazarev was awarded the “Mother of Pearl” Prize for the Best Actor’s Work at the International Film Festival in Riga.
  

The film tells about the incredible fantastic adventures of boys who became subject of a scientific

experiment. Children find themselves in “The Wild West”, among space monsters, in the world of fantastic wild life.

1269 PROKHINDIADA-DVA (TALE OF A SMART FELLOW-2)

1994, 94 min., color, “Lenfilm”, “Ladoga”, “Vesant”, “Milena-film”

Satirical comedy

Director: Alexander Kalyagin, screenplay: Anatoly Grebnev, camera: Ivan Bagayev, production designer: Vladimir Kostin, misic: Andrei Sigle, sound: Igor Terekhov

Cast: Alexander Kalyagin, Ludmila Gurchenko, Maxim Vitorgan, Tatyana Dogileva, Irina Rozanova, Marina Tregubovich, Vladimir Soshalsky, Alexei Zharkov, Viktor Zozulin, Vladimir Permyakov, Ludmila Gvozdikova, Sergei Parshin

Characters of the popular film made by Viktor Tregubovich in the 80s live in our times. Nothing has

changed in family life of San Sanych Lyubomudrov during the last ten years: he is still running off his feet like a squirrel in a cage. However, times have changed. Shady business of “smart fellows” of the stagnation years became legal and those who used to denounce San Sanych became “new Russians” and turned out to be much tougher than the hero himself. Attempt of Lubomudrov to steal a march on one of them leads to a dramatic end.

1270 RUSSKAYA SIMFONIYA (RUSSIAN SYMPHONY)

1994, 115 min., color, “Lenfilm”, “DVA PE I KA”, “Orient-express” (France), ROSKOMKINO

Mystery story

Written and directed by: Konstantin Lopushansky, camera: Nikolay Pokoptsev, production designers:

Valery Chernyavsky, Larisa Shilova, misic: Andrei Sigle, sound: Natalya Avanesova

Cast: Viktor Mikhaiov, Alexander Ilyin, Valentina Golubyonok, Kira Kreilis-Petrova, Valentina Kovel, Mikhail Khrabrov, Natalya Akimova, Nora Gryakalova

A parable on the theme of the Last Judgement that is beginning in Russia in our days. One day, all of a sudden the Last Judgement begins — this is how the characters of the film interpret numerous catastrophic events. But it turned out to be not as simple as it seemed to. There was a certain ambiguity, a kind of a game behind the events. And there was a terrible suspicion that the things going on were some kind of a performance, a theatrical production

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  The film director Konstantin Lopushansky was awarded the Aecumenic Jury Prize of the 45th International Film Festival in Berlin (1994).
  

Ex-professional athlete Alexander is working as a doorman at a restaurant. He is a lone hero, who can fight for his friends and himself. Driven into a corner he discloses a gang of drug-trafficers operating in Russia.

Poetic film about the family of wine -makers — father, mother, son and daughter who start incest relations.

“The man is feeling when he is drinking!.. Romance — understand?” — These are the main life principles of the family.

1273 FRANTSUZSKIY VALS (FRENCH WALTZ)

1994, 93 min., color, “Petropol”, “Lentelefilm”, ROSKOMKINO

Melodrama

Director: Sergei Mikaelyan, screenplay: Lev Arkadyev, Sergei Mikaelyan, camera: Valery Mulgaut, production designer: Sergei Mikaelyan, misic: Igor Tsvetkov, sound: Artur Shikhov

Cast: Irina Lachina, Dona Giber, Robert Parti, Ivan Shvedov

Romantic love story of a French guerilla Henry and a Russian girl Lena who escaped from the fascist prison camp located on the territory of France. After parting for fifty years heroes of the film meet again.

The film is based on a true story.

1274 ELIKSIR (ELIXIR)

1994, 50 min., color, “Lenfilm” in association with “First and Experimental Film”, ROSKOMKINO

Fairy tale

Director: Irina Yevteyeva, screenplay: Irina Yevteyeva, Yuri Kravtsov, camera: Genrikh Marandzhan, production designer: Viktor Zhelobinsky, animation: Irina Yevteyeva, misic: Gennady Banshchikov, sound: Eduard Vanunts

Cast: Sveltana Svirko, Semyon Strugachev, Sergei Shcherbin, Sergei Bekhterev (voice over)

Fantasy in Ernst Theodor Hoffmann’s manner

Experimental film made on the border of animation and feature cinema. This philosophical fairy tale is centered on the story of Hoffmann’s hero traveling ‘ Behind the Looking Glass’. Imagine the wold inhabited by salamanders and black dragons: the fairy land who has just been created by some kind of a winged spirit who not only breathed in life but also left the Talisman that can support this life.

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  The film was awarded the Special Prize of the “Okno v Yevropu” (“ The Window to Europe”) International Film Festival in Vyborg (1993).
  

Inhabitants of a Russian village — a Russian, a Tartar, a German, a Jew and a Gipsy go away to different countries but later get together again in their beloved place...With love and irony authors of the film examine comic and tragic elements in life of the heroes, their hopes and aspirations and through them — Russia’s historical fate.

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  The film was awarded The Third Premium at the International Festival of the East-European Cinema in Kottbus, the German Federal Republic and “The Spectators’ Favourite” Prize at the International Film Festival in Chicago, USA. The film director Sergei Selyanov got the Special Prize of the Main Contest Jury at KINOTAVR-95 (the Open Russian Film Festival).