Maria Kuznetsova Movies
- 2005
Set against the backdrop of the Soviet Union's first satellite launch, director Alexei Uchitel's quiet drama tells the tale of a cook and amateur boxer living in a small port town in the U.S.S.R. who dreams of better things to come. Konyok (Yevgeny Mironov) is a simple man with a simple outlook on life. As he and his waitress girlfriend Lara (Irina Pegova) closely follow the developments of the newly launched satellite, Konyok makes the acquaintance of Gherman (Yevgeny Tsyganov), a former political prisoner turned amateur boxer with an outsider attitude and a deep-rooted desire to defect to the West. Though Konyok and Gherman are two vastly different men, their mutual desire to explore a life outside of the confining borders of the motherland bind the unlikely pair as they ponder the infinite possibilities of an uncertain future. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Yevgeny Tsyganov
An abandoned Russian child forsakes a life of luxury in the name of finding his true mother in director Andrei Kravchuk's affecting drama. Vanya is a six-year-old boy who is about to be adopted by a loving Italian couple, but this is a crucial moment in his life, and there are choices to be made. Will Vanya be content to simply spend his days basking in the warmth of the Mediterranean sun, or will his desire to know his true mother slowly eat away at him from the inside for the rest of his life? Though he eventually decides that in order to move on with his life he must first seek out his birth mother, Vanya must learn to read the file containing the information he will need to locate her. As Vanya sets out on the ultimate journey of self-discovery, he is about to find out that the world of children is a universe unto itself, a universe where the longings of the heart often overpower the ability to reason. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kolya Spiridonov, Denis Moiseenko, (more)
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)
- 2001
Following up on his shaded character study of Adolf Hitler in Moloch, acclaimed filmmaker Alexander Sokurov directs this companion piece -- the second in a planned trilogy -- based on the waning days of the life of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. Set in 1923 in the newly created U.S.S.R., state founder Lenin (Leonid Mozgovoy) -- though he is never mentioned by name -- is convalescing from a stroke at age 51 in his dacha. Surrounded by watchful guards, a live-in doctor, his wife, and his sister, this formerly titanic figure lives as a virtual prisoner after the deterioration of his health. Unable to make contact with the outside world -- newspapers are forcibly removed and the phone lines cut -- Lenin spends much of his time puttering around in the garden or eating with his loyal wife. One day, Stalin (Sergei Razhuk) pays him a visit, even though Lenin isn't quite sure who the future tyrant is. He presents the sick man a walking stick, mentioning that he wanted it to be engraved but Trotsky vetoed the idea. After the visit, Lenin becomes upset that he is living in luxury while his countrymen are starving. This film was screened in competition at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leonid Mozgovoy, Maria Kuznetsova, (more)
