Vadim Lobanov Movies
Russian filmmaker Alexander Sokurov broke boundaries with his dreamlike vision of the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russian Ark. It's the first feature-length narrative film shot in a single take (on digital video, using a specially designed disc instead of tape). Russian Ark is shot from the point-of-view of an unseen narrator, as he explores the museum and travels through Russian history. The audience sees through his eyes as he witnesses Peter the Great (Maksim Sergeyev) abusing one of his generals; Catherine the Great (Maria Kuznetsova) desperately searching for a bathroom; and, in the grand finale, the sumptuous Great Royal Ball of 1913. The narrator is eventually joined by a sarcastic and eccentric 19th century French Marquis (Sergey Dreiden), who travels with him throughout the huge grounds, encountering various historical figures and viewing the legendary artworks on display. While the narrator only interacts with the Marquis (he seems to be invisible to all the other inhabitants), the Marquis occasionally interacts with visitors and former residents of the museum. The film was obviously shot in one day, but the cast and crew rehearsed for months to time their movements precisely with the flow of the camera while capturing the complex narrative, with elaborate costumes from different periods, and several trips out to the exterior of the museum. Tilman Büttner, the director of photography, was responsible for capturing it all in one single Steadicam shot. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sergei Dreiden, Maria Kuznetsova, (more)
- 1989
Civilization as we know it has been destroyed, but remnants remain. In this story, a man has set his heart on visiting a famous pre-apocalypse museum which is now isolated in the midst of a new sea, the result of the melting of the polar icecaps. Those who hold onto the remnants of the old civilization live in isolated settlements, and keep a tight rein on the more numerous mutants, whom they keep in concentration camps (except for those who pressed into duty as servants). The stranger, who is an odd looking man, is taken by these mutants as a long-awaited messiah, and he swiftly becomes involved in the mutant-liberation rebellion, leading his followers to a new land on the other side of the sea. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Viktor Mikhailov, Vera Mayorova, (more)
- 1988
Liosha (Oleg Borisov) is a veteran gardener who cares for the apple orchard like his late father before him, and he receives letters from all over the country requesting seeds from the ancient orchard. Local authorities question Liosha who willingly sends the seeds at his own expense. His years of dedication to the garden and orchard have turned him into a hermit after he loses his best friend and his wife. When a local commission makes plans to destroy his beloved orchard in favor of a chicken coop, Liosha wages a successful battle against the bureaucracy to save the land. The feature has a definite message of the importance of ecological conservation. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Oleg Borisov, Lev Borisov, (more)
- 1986
The title Letters From a Dead Man sums up the story in this bleak speculative drama. Undoubtedly inspired by the Chernobyl incident, the film takes place in a Soviet village which is devastated by a nuclear meltdown. Professor Rolan Bykov, sitting alone in a bomb shelter, begins composing letters to his son, who disappeared shortly after the accident. Bykov knows that he himself is doomed; he hopes that such is not the case with his son. Letters From a Dead Man was written and directed by Andrei Tarkovsky-protégé Konstantin Lopushansky. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rolan Bykov, Iosif Ryklin, (more)
