The script written by the directors themselves is a multi-linear plot involving middle-aged Russians as they try to deal with universal questions such as happiness, fulfillment, secrecy and sex.
Producer Julia Mishkinene from the Russian company Vita Aktiva told FNE how she got involved in this project. “I wanted to make a story that takes place in a big city such as Moscow, with characters similar to my friends. I received the script from Natasha Merkulova and Alexey Chupov in the summer of 2011. It was very fresh and appealing. We started working on the script soon after,” she said.
With no public funding and no institutions involved, Mishkinene started developing the project together with producer Bakur Bakuradze who came through Lemon Films Studio. Zaur Bolotaev of Focus Plus Cinema and Alexandr Plotnikov of Look Film helped them complete the film that was financed from private investments only. The budget was approximately 800,000 EUR.
Mart Taniel (The Temptation of St. Tony, Autumn Ball) is the DoP and the main characters are played by Yury Kolokolnikov, Yulia Aug, Olesya Sudzilovskaya, and Ekaterina Shcheglova.
The film had its world premiere at the Open Russian Film Festival Kinotavr in Sochi in 2013where it was awarded Best Debut and Best Actress, and where it also received the Guild of Film Critics and Scholars diploma.
Antipode Sales is handling the international sales.
Trailer: vimeo.com/64724977
Production Information
Vita Aktiva
Lyusinovskaya str., 36/1, 31
Moscow, Russia
115093
Phone:+7 903 798-40-95
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www.vita-aktiva.ru
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Lemon Films Studio
Phone: +7 495 799-11-53
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www.lemonstudio.ru
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Credits
Director: Natasha Merkulova, Alexey Chupov
Script: Natasha Merkulova, Alexey Chupov
DoP: Mart Taniel
Editor: Ru Hasanov
Original music: Alexey Zelensky
Cast: Yury Kolokolnikov, Yulia Aug, Olesya Sudzilovskaya, Ekaterina Shcheglova, Timur Badalbeili, Nikita Tarasov, Dinara Yankovskaya, Alexey Chupov, Pavel Artemiev, Ksenia Katalymova
