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ARCTIC. FANTASIA FOR TRUMPET, ORCHESTRA AND VIDEO
1 reel, color, 1985, 276 m
Written and directed by V.Naumov
A romantic speechless video sketch dedicated to Arctic Zone and North sea route. Ice-breakers, ships, polar nights, polar bears, sea gulls hovering over sea … are all here.
TRIPLE NINE
2 reels, color, 1983, 571m
Dir. I.Kalinina
An exciting story of salvaging gold from the English cruiser “Edinburgh” sunken during World War II. This cruiser was shot down by German submarines in the Kola bay while transporting 5,5 tons of gold. The film contains a detailed narration of the cruiser sinking and of salvaging of gold by Lloyd’s divers in 1981. Memories of the Soviet officer Zinoviev who was on board the cruiser together with the war-period newsreels and video sequences of the diving jobs of 1981-82 are presented in the film.
PEOPLES OF REMOTE TIMES
3 reels, color, 1989, 855m
Dir.A.Aleksandrov
This film treats of dramatic and complex life of Siberian peoples – Khanty, Muncie, Nenets – in the light of their touch with the life of “white men”. The Kazym rebellion of 1933 in the course of which several Russians were killed is taken as an example of violent behavior of Soviet officials who did not want to consider and respect peculiarities of centuries-old culture and life style of Northern peoples. The film provides video surveys on the life of Northern peoples, shaman rituals, old men’s narrations, newsreels of 1930s and Lev Gumilev’s comments…
MURMANSK
2 reels, color, 1984, 506m
Dir.V.Naumov
An all-encompassing video survey on the life of this Russian Northern city from the work of the port and oil-rigs to the life of common people and deer harnesses races…
GEORGY SEDOV
2 reels, w/b, wide screen, 1962
Dir. L.Finetsimmer (L.Kvinikhidze)
The story of the first Russian expedition to the North Pole under the command of Georgy Sedov.
Newsreels featuring the expedition departure in 1914 are used in the film. Sedov together with his crew spent among the ice two years. Then three of them set off for the North Pole. We observe the crew members to see them off and Sedov to mush. About further developments we find out from Sedov’s journal.
FYODOR DOSTOYEVSKY
3 reels, 818m, color,1979
Dir. T.Iovleva
A popular essay on the life and creative work of the outstanding Russian writer.
ANDREY RUBLYOV. THE PAGES OF LIFE
1991, 15 min, color
Dir. I. Raisis
The film features life and creative work of the great Russian artist Andrey Rublyov specializing in icon painting. A big variety of his works is presented to a spectator.
TWO STEPS TO THE POLE
1986, 2 reels, color
Dir. I.Voitenko
The film treats of incredibly advanced living organisms found in Arctic Ocean which can maintain their living at temperatures below zero…
THREE STORIES ABOUT SPORT (NATIONAL KINDS OF SPORT)
1983, 2 reels, 518m, color
Dir. G.Grachyov
The film narrates of Buryat wrestling and archery, Georgian wrestling called “chidaoba” and Lapp deer harnesses races.
The film shootings took place in Buryatia, Georgia and the Murmansk region.
AFRICAN HUNTING
50 min., colour, 1988
Author Andrey Petrov
Director Igor Alimpiev
The subject of this film is the poet and representative of "The Silver Age" of Russian culture, Nikolai Gumilev. Gumilev's tragic fate and the drama of the lives of those connected with him form the basis for an examination of the Russian intelligentsia. Gumilev's fate can be seen as prefiguring the fate of the Russian intelligentsia as a whole.
The film is woven out of archive materials, early film chronicles of the time, photographs, newspaper clippings, and eye-witness accounts from our contemporaries. In to this are pitched ethnographic and scientific footage, such as a ritual killing of a bear, a lion hunt, a confrontation between a rabbit and a boa constrictor. This material is skilfully combined in to the dramaticism of the film. The metaphoric implications of the film deny any simple conclusions. There is a more complex, associative principle at work here.
"The processes of history are governable, and history is accomplished through ritual sacrifices." The key metaphor of the film becomes the boa constrictor swallowing its prey. Igor Alimpiev attempts to synthesize these metaphors with the traditional documentary approach, highlighting the eternal dichotomy between reality and its representation.
The film won first prize at the Neune film festival in 1988.
AMAZONS
20 min, color, 35 mm, 2003
Director Alina Rudnitskaya
Production: Saint-Petersburg Documentary Film Studio,
Cinematographic research of a strange urban phenomenon – horse-girls who work with horses in the streets and won’t admit any males inter their community. City amazons and their inner life as viewed by a stranger.
CORVUS CORNIX IS A CROW IN LATIN
30 min., colour, 1988
Author, director Janna Romanova
The action takes place in the beginning of “perestroyka”. A young woman works at LOMO factory. She is a hopeless idealist. She defends her ideals and wins the battle with the factory leaders. She is sent to the asylum with the diagnosis “straightforward disposition” and “syndrome of truthseeking”. The main character is a complicated person. The reactions on her points of view and actions vary from total support to total dislike.
In 1989 the film received the main prise “Golden dragon” in Krakow and the prise of Leipzig festival. In 1990 the film received prises in Italy and Spain.
GEESE, GEESE…
2 parts, color, 2002, 577 m.
Dir. A. Sosnora
The action takes place in the environs of Olonets – a small town in Karelia. Annually in spring thousands of wild geese land here to rest so that to be able to continue their way towards north. The film swings around this event: hunters are waiting for prey, ornithologists and children observe the birds in binoculars and in the meanwhile the inhabitants of Olonets are preparing their domestic geese for the traditional spring holiday – geese races.
GENIUS LOCI
3 parts, color, 2003
Dir. S. Lando
How can one translate from Latin “genius loci”? The answer is “local genius”. It might be a patron or a spirit of a city, a river, a place on the whole. For us it is first of all the spirit of creative citizens of St-Petersburg – the composer Oleg Karavaichuk, the artist Mikhail Shemiakin, the ballerina Uliana Lopatkina.
THE HOUSE-MANAGER
Dir. I Yefremova, V. Yefremov
A film about a real woman who works as house-manager for 11 block-houses in Admiralty district of St-Petersburg. She serves about 3 thousand lodgers. Her tasks are of organizational kind and she also has to keep order and purity in her district. The film treats of her hard job where she faces roughness, impoliteness and ignorance of people who do not care much about houses they live in…
2003 – participation in the contest program of FF “Golden Vitiaz”, Russia.
2003 – prize “Silver Centaur” at the national contest of IFF “Message to a man”, St-Petersburg.
IT SNOWED THIS MORNING
30 min., colour, 1993
Author and director Sergey Vinokourov
This film is made up from five novellas about differing people. A young man returns from the war. Kids clean the windows of passing cars for tips on the streets of the city. A millionaire, who has made his fortune through crime. A French woman who has come to live in Russia. A small theatrical troupe, fighting dejection and putting their faith in themselves.
These people are similar in that they are all young, they all live in St.Petersburg of the beginning of 90ies, and whether they like it or not they are being forced to readjust to severe economic changes that bring new incentives, new codes of behaviour, new outlooks, beliefs and myths.
KURSK. THE LAST MOORAGE
Dir. Y.Zanin, 2003
Participant of the contest program of IFF “Message to a man”, St-Petersburg.
LIOKHA DOSTOYEVSKY – A DESCENDANT OF GENIUS
3 parts, 35 mm, 2002
script by Anastassia Matveeva
director Alexander Kisselev
camera by Alexander Filippov
The main character of the film is a descendant of the Great Russian writer.
Observing the life of tram driver – Alexej (Liokha) Dostoevsky - authors are researching the indissoluble connection between the city and young man of our time, trying to understand the influence of famous name and surroundings on his philosophy.
2002 – participation at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, competition section,
2002 – participant of FF “Golden Vitiaz”(Russia).
LOVE ON-LINE
2 parts, color, 2002, 562 m
Dir. N. Bolshakova
The film treats of the escape from the real life to virtual reality created by the Internet which is becoming increasingly popular and common among the young. The authors of the film have tried to describe all the danger of this phenomenon.
MEMORIES
3 parts, color, 2002
Dir. N. Boronin
2002 – Participant of Contest film program “”Message to a man”, St-Petersburg.
MEMORIES OF THE BLOCKADE
10 min., w/b, 1990
Author Gennady Sysoev
Director Victor Semenjuk
Ten minutes of the famous blockade chronicle: the destruction of the great city, defence works, corpses on the streets are presented in the film, accompanied by the 7th symphony of Shostakovich, which turns the film into emotional tragedy.
At the final of the film when veterans are marching along the Nevsky prospect, the spectators always burst out applauding. This film is a real masterpiece.
NO ONE’S RODE
20 min., colour, 1988
Author, director Victor Semenjuk
The landscape, seen through the window of the fast train is different: red-bricked industrial zones, similar summer houses, crosses of cemeteries.
The passengers are peeling eggs, drinking tee, sleeping, talking: “…when we woke up, the coat was gone…”, “…men are so fat nowadays…”, “…and they devastated everything so there was nothing left…”, “…he died of an accident and left me alone with a child…”
The camera follows the reserved seats carriages one by one until the last corridor where there is... no locomotive; the train goes to nobody knows where...
NOAH
director Zhanna Romanova
short film, 35 mm, color, 3 parts, 28 minutes, 757 meters, sound: Mono optical
production: St.Petersburg Documentary Film Studio, 2004
This film shows a stud-farm “Arch” owned by the Grishins family and their search of creative living in today’s world.
ON AIR RADIO COMET
30 min, color, 35 mm, 2002
Director Alexander Kiseljev
Production: Saint-Petersburg Documentary Film Studio
“As a child I used to be really scared of silence” says born blind Alexey Voronov, a hero of the documentary. The fear was the initial reason for his growing interest first in music and later in radio broadcasting. He created his own pirate radio station so that now he is able to help other people notwithstanding his personal tragedy. And response to his story is admiration and respect rather than mere compassion.
ODYA
short film, 35 mm, color, 3 parts, 28 minutes, 757 meters, sound: Mono optical
production: St.Petersburg Documentary Film Studio, 2003
director Edgar Bartenev
We see a Komi village and we listen to its inner sounds. Figures of Komi people appear in front of our eyes. Approaching the edge of the enchanted world we do not want to trespass it with our logical explanations.
Screenings and Awards:
Clermont-Ferrand IFF, France, Feb.2004 – Best Photography Award.
Directors Fortnight, Cannes IFF,
Cracow IFF,
Hamburg IFF,
Cine Lumiere, Institut Francais, London,
Aye-Aye IFF, Nancy, France – Big Prize,
Moscow IFF,
Message to Man IFF, St.Petersburg
ONE SPRING NIGHT
10 min., w/b, 1973
Authors Nicolay Boronin, Mikhail Mass
Director Nicolay Boronin
The Leningrad-St.Petersburg tradition is shown in the film: the famous sculptures and monuments are being washed on the spring night. Either it is a concern about the cleanness, or it is a sign of a birth - it’s nice anyway.
PETERSBURG – 300
A number of miniseries dedicated to the city of St-Petersburg.
At the moment are available:
1. ACOUSTICS
dir. D. Neimand, 2002
2. ABOUT A GOAT
dir. S. Nasenkova, 2002
3. TRAM BY SPRING
dir. S. Loznitsa, 2002
4. CIRCUS
dir. M. Solovtsova, 2002
PETROGRAD REPUBLIC
Director Denis Neimand
20 min, color, 35 mm, sound: Mono optical
Production: Saint-Petersburg Documentary Film Studio, 2003
Documentary about the author’s “small” motherland – old Petersburg district Petrogradskaya Storona. In the film this district is shown from the angle of modern cinema- intriguing, dynamic, filled with inner dramaturgy urban reserve.
PORTRAIT
35 mm, 3 parts, b/w, 29 min, 860 meters, 2002
(Sound: mono, optical)
Production: St.Petersburg Documentary Film Studio,
director Sergey Loznitsa
Static cinematographic portraits of common Russian people revealing time and its passing obscurity. The film has been created using mathematics principle of the golden section for the viewers to perceive the time span in the most harmonious way. Here the previous scientific experience helped the author to send the artistic message. But being an artist he added some margin between this golden section intervals “to life’s inconsistency”.
Screenings and Awards:
Leipzig IFF 2002, Award: Silver Dove
33 Tampere IFF, March 2003
49th Oberhausen IFF, May 2003, Award: Grand-Prix
Media Wave IFF, Hungary April- May, 2003
Crakow IFF, June 2003
Message to Man IFF, St.Petersburg, June 2003,
Vila de Conde IFF,
Karlovy Vary IFF, Prize: Special mention “for a poetic and vibrant view of a vanishing world”,Montecatini IFF, Jerusalem IFF, DocPoint Helsinki IFF, Egyptian IFF, Jihlava IFF, Czech Republic, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York
RURAL LESSONS
Dir. A. Rudnitskaya, 52’, 2004
The film treats of the real life in rural area where people try to fill their free time by religion but the latter takes on a very strange form. Some Finns that came to the village have their own religious mission and in some sense help those people on their religious way. Finnish pastor presents to local people old worn cloths and they accept the gifts with pleasure. Even local teachers accept the vision of the Finns and start to teach their pupils in a certain way. The film is both realistic and phantasmagoric.
SAY: “MOMMY”
2 parts, color, 2001, 557 m
Dir. P. Kozhevnikov
A film about a family having many children – the so called socially vulnerable element. The main characters are: the dying grandmother, her drunkard daughter-in-law with her five children… The elder son is in asylum, the middle sun is in prison and the younger one seems to reveal criminal behavior. Both daughters are adopted by an American family. The main purpose of the film is to draw people’s attention to those humble, vulnerable people that are normally repudiated by the society.
2002 – participation in the contest program of IFF in Montekatini, Italy.
2002 – participation in National contest program “Laurel branch”.
STARLING
27 min, video, 2002,
Dir. N. Avrunin, B. Karajaev
2002 – participation in the contest program of 13th festival of documentaries “Russia”, Ekaterinburg.
2002 – participant of the contest program of the IFF “Message to a man”, St-Petersburg.
SULTAN OF ODRYNKI
26’, Dir. V. Asliuk, 2003
A film about an 86-year old masher from a Byelorussian village who lives with three wives at a time creating rumors all around the village…
TEA BREW FOR THE GENIUS
3 parts, color, 2002
Dir. S. Nasenkova
This films narrates of the outstanding member of the Academy of Natural Sciences, doctor of physico-mathematical sciences Victor Ivanovich Petrik.
2003 – prize “Silver Vitiaz” at the FF “Gilden Vitiaz”, Russia.
2003 – prize “Silver Centaur” at the national contest of IFF “Message to a man”, St-Petersburg.
THE ANTOLOGY (STUDIO CRONOCLES)
7 parts, b/w, 2001.
Dir. J.Romanova, S. Lando, S, litviakov, N. Boronin
A documentary chronicle representing Russia of XX century from the time of the last tsar till the last President – in all the diversity of its historical cataclysms. Visual sequence of the film includes images of both historically important persons and common people. Emotionally the film features atmosphere of the era of collapse of “great illusions” of the entire nation.
2001 – IFF in Leipzig, Germany (participant);
2002 – Special Jury Prize at IFF of visual arts in Dyor, Hungary.
2003 – IFF of documentaries in Tampere, Finland (participant).
THE BEST DAY
3 parts, color, 2002, 725 m
Dir. P. Medvedev
The film treats of a charismatic constructor of organs – the only one of his kind in Russia. After Pavel Chilin had studied this rare craft on his own he created 34 instruments. The organs of his manufacture are in demand both in Russia and abroad.
2002 – Prize for the best cameraman work at the 13th Open Festival of Dicumentaries “Russia”, Ekaterinburg.
2002 – participated in non-contest program of the IFF in Leipzig, Germany.
THE CUSTODIAN OF THE MANOR
3 parts, color, 2004
Dir. N. Boronin
The film treats of the tragic destiny of the ingenious author of the magnificent poem “Grief from Mind” Alexander Griboyedov as well as of the tragic destiny of his patrimony “Khmelita”. In the centre of the narration is the director of the museum Victor Kulakov who dedicated 37 years to reconstruction of this unique patrimony…
THE GOLDEN DREAM
40 min., colour, 1989
Author and director Sergey Debizhev
This film is made up from archive footage from the early years of the twentieth century covering the years from 1900 to 1920. The footage, often unique, was filmed by different people and groups the world over, and is united to give a wide overview of the fate of European civilization.
In essence "The Golden Dream" is an idyllic vision of the world on the eve of the 1st World War, which the film's author associates with a loss of cultural ideals. It is a world of artists and painters, aristocratic souls who possess a refined sense of taste, a faultless feeling for style, all of which is destroyed by war - an effect which is reinforced by the socialist revolution. The forces of evil are senseless, and the film opposes them with a killing irony.
The film's outlook is unashamedly subjective, but that is where its strength lies. The film makes wide use of special effects. The author injects colour into black and white images achieving a painterly expressiveness.
The film's music was written by St Petersburg's famous composer, Boris Grebenshikov.
THE NET
3 parts, color, 2001.
Dir. R. Orynbasarova
The need for drugs is stipulated by the atmosphere of everyday life namely the lack of spirituality. The saved ones are very few. And only mothers continue hoping for better…
THE RAILWAY STATION
2 parts, color, 2001, 557 m,
Dir. J. Romanova
One day of the life of a railway station, fixed on film by method of motion-picture observation.
2002 – participation in the Contest program of IFF “Message to a man”, St-Petersburg.
THE SETTLEMENT
9 parts, b/w, cache, 2001.
Dir. S. Loznitsa
A film about one day of the life of people destined to live as one big commune. It is about life – difficult and easy at the same time.
2001 – prize for best cameraman work at XI IFF “Message to a man”.
2001 - prize for best cameraman work at IFF in Karlovy Vary.
2001 – Grand-prix at FF “Window to Europe”, Vyborg.
2001 – Prize “Silver pigeon” at FF in Leipzig.
2001 – participation at 41st IFF in Cracow, Poland.
2002 – Special Jury prize at IFF of visual arts in Dyor, Hungary.
2002 – participant at IFF in Bratislava, Slovakia.
THE WAY
2003, b/w, dir. S. Shimanyuk
Fiction film treating of the boy by name Proshka who lives in XI century. We see him going to cure his sick horse with some medicine. This very day to his village come the warders of the prince Vladimir to execute the christening there. For Russian people on the whole this ceremony is a great event though for the little boy it turns out to be a new fear and an obstacle to his decision to cure own sick animal.
The film participated in the IFF in San Paolo, Brazil.
TIME TO REMEMBER
30 min., colour, 1986
Author Anatoly Nikiforov
Director Mikhail Litvyakov
The film about relations between The Soviet Union and the USA was shot during the first years of “perestroyka”. With maximum optimism, hardly ever mentioning problems in relationship between these two countries, the documentary shows the best there was, there is and there’s going to be.
In 1986 a lot has happened. One of the first TV bridges Leningrad-Boston took place. The chronicle of this bridge with historical phrase “We don’t have sex” is used in the film. Armand Hammer opens the exhibition “Five centuries of masterpieces” in Hermitage, jazz-man Grover Washington and composer Raimond Pauls play together in the concert, Oleg Vinogradov speaks about the tour of Kirovsky theatre to America. Rear admiral A.Motrokhov recalls the joint actions of allies on the sea during the World War II and about the meeting of soviet and American troops on Elba River. In 1986 in the Cathedral of Transfiguration in Leningrad the joint service took place. Susan and Robert Massi, the authors of “Nikolay and Alexandra”, “Peter the Great” came to Leningrad. The film also recalls “Soyuz-Appolo”, soviet-American summit in Yourmala, little American girl Samantha Smith, known to everyone in the USSR in the 80-ies.
TO LIGHT A CANDLE
70 min., colour, 1991
Authors, directors Irina Kalinina, Mikhail Litvyakov
The character of the film - American writer Susan Massy, the connoisseur of Russian literature, the author of many books on Russian art, about Pavlovsk, about the last Russian tsar (“Nikolay and Alexandra”). Susan Massy has been closely connected with Russia for already quarter of the century. The film was shot in St.Petersburg and Moscow during her visit to Russia; and in the USA - in Boston, Cambridge and state of Man.
VACATIONS IN NOVEMBER
2 parts, full-color, 2002
director Pavel Medvedev
This is a true dramatic and poignant story, describing the severe struggle for existence of the miners in the far north of Russia, revealing the obscure of their life, never presented to the public before.
Screenings and Awards:
IDFA (Amsterdam), 2002, Köln IFF, 2002, 18 Berlin IFF,
7th Siena IFF, 45th Leipzig IFF,
Yekaterinburg FF, Russia - Best Photography Prize
Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival, 2003
Thessaloniki IFF, March 2003, 33 Tampere IFF, One World IFF - Prague and Dresden - 2003,
Hamburg IFF, 2003 – Award - "Francois Ode Prize" “for an outstanding humanitarian dimension”,
Avanca IFF, Portugal, 2003, TELEVISION COMPETITION - Television Prize,
DocPoint IFF, Helsinki, 2003
Encounters South African IFF, 2003; Stuttgart IFF, 2003, Sheffield IFF, 2003, Uppsalla IFF, 2003, Bilbao IFF, 2003, Braunshweig IFF, 2003, Ankara IFF, 2003, Badalona IFF, 2003, Winterhur IFF, Switzerland, 2003, Istanbul IFF, 2004
Prix Europa, Berlin 2003, 7th place in television competition,
Tehran IFF, 2003 – Special Mention of the Jury;
5th Belo Horizonte IFF, Brazil, 2003 – Awards: Best Film Official Prize in International Competition; Best Photography Prize in International Competition.
WEDDING OF SILENCE
29 min, B/W, 770 M, 35 mm
Director Pavel Medvedev
Production: Saint-Petersburg Documentary Film Studio, 2003
Film “Wedding of silence” is about deaf people. The only difference of these people from the others is that they live in total silence but this in no way implies that they are retarded or miserable. The world of silence is as fascinating and full of meaning for them as for other people – the world of sounds.
Screening and Awards:
Zolotoy Vityaz IFF, Irkutsk,
Message to Man IFF, St.Petersburg
Moscow IFF
Karlovy Vary IFF – Best Documentary Award 2004
Vyborg National Film Festival, Russia, Special Jury Prize
WILD STOOLS
Dir. A. Kiselyov, 2003
Environs of a remote Russian village constitute the scenery of the film. Many years ago there were forestries there which were linked with each other by narrow-gauge railways. There was a local cinema with wide screen, a club, billiards, library, schools…But everything has been destroyed. Now only shabby houses and rusty carriages can be seen. Nevertheless people still live there. They invented a strange way of moving. Hand cars are too expensive for them. So they place a small cart upon carriage wheels, fix a saw engine and move one’s own legs serving as brake, at a speed up to 70 km per hour… They move along boundless forests where they pick up mushrooms and berries, go this way fishing and mowing...
WOOD-GROUSE SONG
26 min, 2002
Dir. S. Litviakov
All over the immense territory of Russia there are a lot of small villages. Svirskoye is an example of such settlements. The monastery, the hospital and the village itself share common everyday affairs and difficulties of the present. The film features life of a remote settlement, its hard living in the environs of magnificent nature…
The film participated in the contest program of the IFF “Message to a man”, St-Petersburg.
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Documentaries