Director Sokurov's performance on Nika was one of the most talked about speeches of the past week. The rather emotional speech with political statements did not go unnoticed by the Kremlin. Kazan director Renat Khabibullin decided to express his point of view on this event in the author's column.
Film forums as a political tribune
The Nika Prize originated in 1987 from the Secretariat of the USSR Union of Cinematographers. It was founded by the well-known Julius Guzman, who to this day is its artistic director (this is the question of what this guy from KVN does, except for KVN). V different time the presidents of "Nika" were playwright Viktor Merezhko ("Kinsfolk", "Flights in Dreams and in Reality", "Sonya the Golden Hand"), film director Eldar Ryazanov ("Office Romance", "Carnival Night", "Beware of the Car"), actor Alexei Batalov ("The Cranes Are Flying", "Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears"). Today Andron Konchalovsky is the President of "Nika". By the way, “Nika” takes its name from the name of the heroine of Mikhail Kalatozov’s great film “The Cranes Are Flying,” whose role was brilliantly played by the young Tatyana Samoilova. All in all, they get Nika in 23 nominations.
The fact that such events have long been the mouthpiece of political sentiment is no secret to anyone. What has to do with this is the big question, what part of society is represented by the artists speaking on political topics. Take the Oscar, Berlin or Cannes. Everywhere great creators of "the most important of the arts" publicly express their opinions on certain issues. In this sense, the Nika Prize was no exception. This year, the speech of the film director Alexander Sokurov caused a special resonance. Anticipating the question, and who he is, a little help.
The Nika award is named after the heroine of the great painting by Mikhail Kalatozov, The Cranes Are Flying. Photo kino-teatr.ru
An elite director for their own
Alexander Sokurov is a Russian and Soviet film director and screenwriter. People's Artist of Russia (2004). In 1995, by the decision of the European Film Academy, the name of Alexander Sokurov was included in the list of the hundred best directors of world cinema. Sokurov's films were nominated 43 times at the largest film festivals in the world, and won 26 times. The most famous works by Alexander Sokurov are "Moloch", "Russian Ark", "Faust".
The name of the Russian film director Sokurov will not say anything to the Russian mass audience. This director has always remained and, most likely, tried to be among the filmmakers, whose films were shot for the circle of the elite. There can be no question of any broad distribution of Sokurov's films in Russia.
This year Sokurov received his "Nika" in the nomination "For Honor and Dignity".
As for "Nika" itself, films are awarded here, which, if released, are in a very limited edition. To be honest: no one knows at all those films that are awarded here. Let's take the most prestigious "Best Film of the Year" nomination:
- 2017 - "Paradise", A. Konchalovsky.
- 2016 - "Dear Hans, dear Peter", A. Mindadze.
- 2015 - "It is difficult to be a god", A. German.
- 2014 - "Geographer drank the globe", A. Veledinsky.
- 2013 - "Faust", A. Sokurov.
- 2012 - “Once upon a time there was one woman”, A. Smirnov.
A still from the film "Faust" by A. Sokurov
The vicious circle of geniuses
However, one should not think that the films that were not released for wide distribution and were awarded the prize are some kind of arthouse, interesting only to those who created it. This is a big misconception. Pictures that have received "Nika" are always an event. As a rule, they have a high artistic value and carry a lot of interesting things. For example, the painting "Paradise" by Konchalovsky makes a strong impression.
Such pictures, of course, not without flaws and controversial points, make us comprehend and rethink not only the Second world war- as a monstrous episode in human history, but also questions of universal human morality during periods of terrible upheavals in general. It remains only to be regretted that these films do not reach people. This, without a doubt, is the "merit" of the creators, who sometimes create pictures exclusively for Western consumers and film festivals. These paintings seem to deliberately do not want to be Russian.
At the same time, for works that need to be shown and watched right here, neither television nor distributors have a place on the air next to advertising and the "sixteenth" Fast and the Furious. So the vicious circle that has set the teeth on edge is when the viewer, who has outgrown "Spider-Man", cannot find anything more interesting in the schedule of sessions than "50 shades" of brown. The situation is not so hopeless in large cities, where no, no, and something like the same "Paradise" by Konchalovsky or "Dear Hans, dear Peter" Mindadze will appear. In this context, when the film simply does not reach the viewer, it is not surprising that artists use any high platform to express what is painful, no longer in cinematic language, but directly. That is why the Nika award thundered not as another masterpiece of domestic production, but in Sokurov's speech, which we will talk about.
Vladimir Putin's meeting with Alexander Sokurov, 2011. Photo iskusstvo.tv
A call to behave like a Christian
The triumphant began by saying that he “thanked from the bottom of his heart for the cordiality,” and then he told how he called his mother, who is 90 years old. Mom asked her son not to say anything from the podium, or "they will kill you." The beginning is pretty serious. If I correctly understand the language of the intellectuals' allegory, then my mother thinks (not Sokurov himself. Or Sokurov himself too?) That we live in a totalitarian state, where they can be killed for civil position. Here, most likely, there is an allusion to Boris Nemtsov, who was killed on the Bolshoi Moskvoretsky bridge in 2015. By default, the death of a politician is attributed, no doubt, to the Kremlin. “You are always arguing with the government,” her mother continued. “I don’t argue, I am expressing a point of view,” the filmmaker replied to his mother. Sokurov went on to say that he was waiting for an answer from Vladimir Putin about the fate of director Sentsov.
Oleg Gennadievich Sentsov is a Ukrainian film director and writer. Detained in Crimea in 2015. Accused of terrorist activities. Sentsov pleaded not guilty to the crimes charged with him and called the case political and fabricated.
The director Sokurov himself met with Putin on December 2, 2016 and said, “This man (Sentsov) has no blood on it. We condemn him for his intentions. " Putin promised to "think it over", and Sokurov "was satisfied with the content of the conversation." Prior to that, Sokurov, in an open appeal to Putin, asked him to treat the Sentsov case in a Christian way. But it is known that Sokurov himself actively opposes the fusion of church and state. Actually, since you have such a position, why are you asking for such strange things? Sometimes the logic of great artists is not clear common man... Although it is possible that the Russian Orthodox Church and Christianity are different for Sokurov, as for most of the world's inhabitants.
Moving away from the Sentsov problem, the article for terrorism (Article 205 of the RF Criminal Code) has long been criticized by prominent human rights activists. Unfortunately, the main persons involved in these cases are the Muslim part of the population. Of course, director Sokurov did not mention all those who were convicted under these articles and are serving their sentences in places not so remote. Perhaps it is his special respect to the Caucasus? But that’s later.
Sokurov is waiting for an answer from Putin while he thinks. Well, we'll wait too ...
Sokurov drew attention to the fact that humanitarian education is required, and the introduction of religious, substitute concepts into the education system leads to the collapse of the state. Photo os.colta.ru
How familiarity turns into civil war in skilled hands
And Sokurov spoke on this topic, because he watched what was happening on Sunday, March 26. And then a quote: "The state is making a big mistake by behaving so familiarly with young people." For me, the term "familiarly" is not entirely appropriate here, but the problem raised by Sokurov on this point has serious grounds.
There is a strange position of the Kremlin. A certain citizen Navalny accuses the second person of the state no less than corruption. He does this by publishing an investigation film "He's Not Dimon to You", which at the time of this writing has already been viewed 16 million times. Logically, after such a loud address of the oppositionist number one, there should be one of two things: either Navalny is accused of libel and imprisoned under 121 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, or ...
But not with us. We can keep silent. And that's all. Without a doubt, Navalny, who ate the dog on provocative stories, expected such an outcome. That is why he announced meetings in the cities of Russia. Tatarstan has a special position on his list, because in connection with the banking crisis, a wave of popular indignation has also risen in our country. On this wave, like a real surfer, presidential candidate Alexei Navalny maneuvered in our republic.
The rallies gathered thousands of people in large cities, the bulk of whom were young people - students and high school students. More than nine hundred people were detained. Including presidential candidate Navalny. It was these arrests that Sokurov called "familiarity". The director said that he knows the mood of young people very well, since he is a university person himself. “You can't start a civil war between schoolchildren and students. We need to hear them. " So easily familiarity grew into a civil war. What is our renowned filmmaker talking about? Obviously, here Sokurov is rather clever at playing with terms. And even if it is impossible to disagree with what the younger generation needs to hear, Sokurov himself cannot but understand how much this play with words can cost the younger generation itself. In order to understand this, one does not need to be a "university person", but simply look back. Everything was exactly one hundred years ago.
“Nobody talks to them. Our deputies are afraid to do this, - continued Sokurov. "Let us pass a law prohibiting touching women and girls in public actions." Here, although applause is heard in the hall, you just need to ask the question: why are they even detained at protest actions? Apparently due to violations. Do not all citizens have equal rights in our country under the Constitution? What is it all about? What is this weird populism?
Still from the film "Russian Ark" by A. Sokurov
Remember "Day of the Oprichnik"
Further, Sokurov drew attention to the fact that humanitarian education is required, and the introduction of religious, substitute concepts into the education system leads to the collapse of the state. And here one cannot but agree with Sokurov.
In the fantastic stories “Day of the Oprichnik” and “The Sugar Kremlin” Vladimir Sorokin very accurately described the future of Russia, which has chosen one of the vectors of its development, or, as they say today, “spiritual bonds”, Orthodoxy and autocracy. The state, according to Sorokin, fell apart into small principalities, and the Tsar ruled in Muscovy. Moreover, a few years ago, when I got acquainted with these works of the writer, I decided that the author was greatly exaggerating the problem. Further, conversations began about the primacy of the Russian people, the role of Orthodoxy, and quite recently, through the lips of Crimean politicians, the questions of the need to return to the monarchy were spoken out. I again and again return my thoughts to these stories and see how exactly the author grasped the trends of political sentiments when they had not even been spoken aloud.
Returning to Sokurov and the destructiveness of the fusion of the state and the church, he again does not let go of the thought of how this contrasts with his request to the president of the country that it would be necessary in a Christian way with Sentsov ... Mr. Sokurov? You have to be consistent ...
“I can be Orthodox even at the North Pole, but I have Russia here! And only here! " - Sokurov finished his thought. This is probably about the fact that Russia is a secular state and it is nevertheless necessary to stick to it.
On the set of the film "Faust". Photo filmz.ru
Fear of becoming a shelf director
Then Sokurov led him through the hack about how hard it is for him, that his pictures are not shown and do not like, and he is forced to shoot abroad. And this is also very strange to hear, because Sokurov himself probably has one of the happiest cinematic destinies in Russian cinema. In his career, there was not a minute that he did not film. He worked constantly and in Soviet time, and in new Russia... It is hung with awards like Christmas tree... He took place both as an outstanding personality and as a brilliant director. However, the mask of the eternal sufferer has taken too much of the image of Sokurov. He is suffering. And then there is the information that his "Russian Ark" may be banned in the Russian Federation. Although no one has banned or will not prohibit anything, Sokurov still did not fail to take the opportunity to mention that here, in a free democratic Russia, he could become a shelf director.
Shelf director - this is a director whose films, for ideological reasons, were not allowed to be shown in the USSR. To put on a shelf - not to be admitted to display. Since in the USSR the state was the only customer and distributor of films, the “shelf”, in fact, meant the death of the film.
Sokurov did not forget to spit in the direction of the Caucasus, in particular, in the direction of the Chechen Republic. The director mentioned that it was there that his films were already banned, but this is not surprising, because Chechnya is "a special sector, not very relevant to our country." And now this is already serious. Say something like a person on the social network, then Article 280 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Separatism”) can easily be instituted against him. But what is allowed by some is not allowed to others, and Sokurov blue eye separates the whole republic from the whole country. Earlier, Sokurov expressed similar thoughts more than once. His "anti-clerical" position, as it turned out, is reversed in relation to Islam as well. Well, thank you at least for not developing this topic, otherwise Ramzan Akhmatovich would have to get involved in the matter personally.
“We must fight for the power of enlightenment! Only this will save us from political catastrophes, ”Sokurov concluded his speech.
In general, Alexander Nikolaevich's speech was capacious, whole and emotional. She was no doubt prepared. And if we turn not to the particular oddities of Sokurov's views about women who should not be touched, and non-Russian Chechnya (to which he, no doubt, has the right), but to the essence, then any sane person should agree with her. It is in young people that our future is, and it is here that a new generation of educated, strong and politically literate citizens of the Fatherland is born. It is education that will save Russia. Unfortunately, it does not provide any specific solutions to this problem. And did he set himself such a goal - to answer the question "how?" Apart from the call for unification and the danger of introducing religious dogmas into education, we heard nothing. Unite where? How? With whom? History is silent about this. Although let's hope that closeness to the president (after all, Vladimir Vladimirovich does not meet and hold conversations with everyone) will enable our illustrious figure of "the most important of the arts" to convey this important idea about the fate and future of the Motherland.
Renat Khabibullin
reference
Renat Khabibullin
A graduate of the higher courses of scriptwriters and directors, workshop of Alla Surikova and Vladimir Fokin.
Filmography:
- "Christmas tree", short fiction. 2013;
- Short documentaries;
- “The Marjani Mosque. The history of embodied traditions ”. 2016;
- Visible Faith, 2014, Asgat Gilmzyanov, Iskhak Lutfullin, Rashida Iskhaky, Almira Adiyatullina, Akhmadzaki Safiullin;
- “Cyclehage. Unusual journey". 2016;
- "Pilgrim. The story of a long-awaited journey ”. 2017.
Director Alexander Sokurov spoke about the difficult creative path and love for Japan in an interview with Tatyana Elkina.
TATIANA ELKINA, correspondent:“Let's start with the premiere. In St. Petersburg you are presenting a video version of the play “G0. GO. GO ”, which you staged for the Teatro Olimpico in Italy. The Italian press wrote the following about this performance: “Animal humanity is on the stage. Power is a disease. Barbarism and civilization mix, and only art helps to understand how to curb the epidemic of power. " Do I understand correctly that this is a kind of continuation of the themes you touched upon in Moloch, Taurus, Sun and Faust? "
ALEXANDER SOKUROV,“Only there is she personified. There were specific people, specific characters with specific characters, destinies. And here in question about the state of the whole society or the danger that modern civilization has. All are subject to dehumanization and moral self-destruction. European civilization- the phenomenon is complex and very stable. She can destroy herself, even a war is not necessary. Maybe as a result of some inner weakness, lack of courage, lack of consistency. As a result of the too aggressive political mood of the society.
If we talk about Russian civilization - the same thing. When there is a lot of politics in the life of society, when politicians determine the guidelines for the development of society, the guidelines for the development of culture, this is always bad, because politics is neurotic, it never speaks about the eternal and about devotion. Politics is a dishonest lady, today one mood, tomorrow another, today one goal, tomorrow another goal. In this sense, culture is much more resilient. She is devoted to the people. They say that the army will never betray the people. It is not true. And the army can lose the war, and the state can collapse, and culture will always remain with the people, even if the enemy seizes the land, and the signs of culture, national culture will save the people. "
TATIANA ELKINA, correspondent:“You have been doing research on politicians who influenced the world and culture by their political decisions for a very long time. Most of your films are dedicated to this. If we talk about your theatrology, in one of your interviews you said that your image was born in 1987 or 1989. What circumstances prompted you to do this? "
ALEXANDER SOKUROV,director, People's Artist of the Russian Federation:“Probably a genetic interest in history. Since high school, I drowned in the passions of history, I read a lot and very early on realized that there is no one facet of the historical trend and at the same time it is very simple. I began to be carried away by some artistic generalizations, then I got the idea that I should try, that I need to create a programmatic essay, which is not typical for cinema, to create in four parts a kind of narrative that is united by a single theme, although the characters are different. This occurred to me after graduating from the history department of the university. But the Soviet political circumstances suggested that this could be done. "
TATIANA ELKINA, correspondent:"The heroes of your programmatic work are Hitler, Lenin, Kherohita and Faust, do any of them cause you regret or compassion?"
ALEXANDER SOKUROV,director, People's Artist of the Russian Federation:“Everyone is compassionate, because whether we like it or not, even the most terrible big villain is a man. And if these villains, who have committed so many crimes, bad deeds, were absolutely artificial phenomena, were brought to us from another planet, it would be very simple - we would simply remove this evil and that's it. But they, all, have inner human qualities, which means that all this infection sits inside a person, and it will sit. Nazism and totalitarianism, everything that results in global criminal acts, wars - everything accompanies us, the nature of man is expressed in everything. "
TATIANA ELKINA, correspondent:“I would talk about each of the four characters, but I’ll only ask about the Japanese emperor Hirohito. Historians are still arguing about what caused his political decision in 1942, his behavior during the Second World War. Someone thinks that he is a victim of the Japanese military machine, someone thinks that he is still a dictator. What do you think as a historian? "
ALEXANDER SOKUROV,director, People's Artist of the Russian Federation:“There was a universal quality in him, brought up like a monarch with unlimited possibilities in unlimited power, but in this case we are dealing with a person whose personality structure was the humanitarian part of life. He was a biologist, an ichthyologist. He was engaged in science, and politics did not represent any kind of life passion for him. And I must say that he is the only one of such big criminals who himself realized the fallacy and took a step aside, leading the country out of the state of war. Stalin and Lenin, realizing what total sacrifices the people bear in the process of government, did not make any amendments and did not admit their delusions, Hitler - even less so. Hundreds of German soldiers died, thousands and thousands of our compatriots died in Berlin, but he did not maniacally surrender the city and did not surrender. None of them wanted to give in. Only Hirohito stepped aside, realizing that he could be prosecuted and executed.
One more thing. I argued a lot with our diplomats and talked with scientists and specialists, politicians in Japan of different persuasions (right, left, centrists) about how I perceive Russian some circumstances of Hirohito's behavior. Let's try to imagine if he started a war with the Soviet Union, what would happen to us? In a sense, I say this very relatively, because in the historical process everything is not so simple, he is the savior of our situation. "
TATIANA ELKINA, correspondent:"Of all your heroes, does he command you the most respect?"
ALEXANDER SOKUROV,director, People's Artist of the Russian Federation:“Maybe because I have been preparing for this film for 10 years. I have been to Japan a lot, lived there and met with the staff secretly and openly, who worked with him, because this was not allowed. I met with experts, worked in archives. I spent 10 years preparing and somehow got into it deeply. I love Japan, just very much. I know that the Japanese are also not easy people, but they treat me somehow absolutely amazingly. And my gratitude is endless. Then they came to my aid, I left to work for them there when it was impossible to do anything here. There was no money, the Lenfilm studio was practically closed, and I made documentaries while traveling across Japan. "
TATIANA ELKINA, correspondent:“When you talk about your cinema, you often compare it to such a medical model. Your quote: “We are hospital staff, a group of patients is brought to us. Many of them are such scoundrels that it’s scary to touch them, but we must accept them, diagnose them, cure them and return them to society ”- it is clear with the diagnosis, but how to return them to society”.
ALEXANDER SOKUROV,director, People's Artist of the Russian Federation:“The artistic method is not a prosecutor’s investigation, we are always looking for human roots, in any situation. We are always interested in a person, no matter how badly he is, because once he was a boy, a girl and was an angel, then something happened, sometimes it is clear that, sometimes not, and the person turned into this monster. Let society judge, let God judge. We will not be able to cure, we will be able to treat a little, stop the aggression, we will be able to make a diagnosis and will be able to recommend a drug blockade to the society. But if we start judging, there will be no forces left in society that would be engaged in the delicate study of human nature. "
TATIANA ELKINA, correspondent:“You study human nature in your cinema, and sometimes you do it with the help of such technical tricks that the audience has a question:“ How is this filmed? ”. In Faust, you shot some scenes with a 6 x 8 meter mirror. How is this possible? "
ALEXANDER SOKUROV,director, People's Artist of the Russian Federation:“Well, not only in Faust. We shot both in Taurus and in the film The Sun, where I myself was the director of photography. We also shot with the help of special optical systems: glasses, mirrors, with the help of new lenses, which had never existed before. This is necessary to create a special environment on the site. I will not reveal all my professional secrets. "
TATIANA ELKINA, correspondent:“About the“ Russian Ark ”. The film was shot in one shot, but there were those who said that there is still one cut. Are they lying? "
ALEXANDER SOKUROV,director, People's Artist of the Russian Federation:“No, there was no gluing. There was no need for this. There was color correction, since the exposure conditions in such paintings are very difficult. We cannot supply the Hermitage with as much light as we need. When we arrived in Germany, we brought together the best colorists who corrected all issues related to the exhibition. There were no three takes. It was the first time when we turned on the camera, it starts from the street with the entrance to the Hermitage. The camera stopped because the temperature was 26 degrees below zero. But the second time it was already normal. And that first stop was just technical. This, of course, has never happened in the cinema, so that one and a half hours of continuous action. "
TATIANA ELKINA, correspondent:
ALEXANDER SOKUROV,director, People's Artist of the Russian Federation:“The film was sent to the warehouse of the institute to wash away the negative. We opened the warehouse at night, changed the boxes and took the film. Then they simply hid, hid, hid in Leningrad from apartment to apartment, until the time came with the opportunity to transfer it to Lenfilm. This has already happened during perestroika. "
TATIANA ELKINA, correspondent:“You were a little under 27 years old when you worked on the film. What happened to you that you made just such a picture? "
ALEXANDER SOKUROV,director, People's Artist of the Russian Federation:“I was like that. Whether it is bad or good - this is my destiny. This is my life. Unfortunately, nothing has ever been easy for me. I have never been rewarded with any kind of help or support in my life, although there have been cases when they helped me. "
TATIANA ELKINA, correspondent:"Is this some kind of global foreboding of trouble?"
ALEXANDER SOKUROV,director, People's Artist of the Russian Federation:“I don’t know, I’m not ready to answer this question. I try not to think about it, I try not to analyze it. "
TATIANA ELKINA, correspondent:“In an interview with Sofiko Shevardnadze, you said that you thought about suicide twice: when you were under investigation by the KGB and when you started having big vision problems. The story with the KGB because of what picture? "
ALEXANDER SOKUROV,director, People's Artist of the Russian Federation:"Because of the" Way of Life ", because of the connection with Tarkovsky, because of attempts to take me outside the Soviet Union."
TATIANA ELKINA, correspondent:"What stopped you?"
ALEXANDER SOKUROV,director, People's Artist of the Russian Federation:“Probably, the strength of character, despite the fact that all these difficult events happened to me, every time there were people who, according to their ability, helped and lent a helping hand. Such a person was Vladilen Kuzin, director of the documentary film studio, and Galina Poznyakova, Chief Editor studios. Because of me they had a lot of problems, but they always gave me the opportunity to work, if not for their support, I don't know what would have happened to me. "
TATIANA ELKINA, correspondent:"Did you realize that you were risking not only yourself, but also other people?"
ALEXANDER SOKUROV,director, People's Artist of the Russian Federation:“I understood this and always tried to help them somehow in solving these very issues. If necessary, I did some double films to cover the production. I have never let the studio down. Only at Lenfiltma there was a big scandalous story. My outlet in those difficult times was only work, even if there was no confidence that it would reach the viewer. I think it always makes sense to try, work and be faithful to your principles in some way. "
TATIANA ELKINA, correspondent:“When Vladimir Pozner asked about the elitism of your cinema, you said that you are to blame for the fact that you cannot be different. There are many people who want to watch you, but cannot, because they do not understand. How can I understand you? "
ALEXANDER SOKUROV,director, People's Artist of the Russian Federation:“Don't force yourself to understand me. I do not force myself to read books that are not interesting to me, which I do not feel. The question is not that they do not understand me, it means that these people do not have emotional, personal contact with me. And it doesn't matter, and thank God. Cinema is not the main art. There is literature, music, and please share yourself with these species. We are together, if there is some kind of sensual, emotional connection, no - then we are different. Life is built on the difference in people, life is built on complex people. Art is always based not on the people, but on a single person. "
See this and other materials in the program group
19/02/2018
Director Alexander Sokurov gave a long interview to Sofiko Shevardnadze about the nature of power, about Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin. The filmmaker tried to explain why, despite his critical position, the current president of Russia invariably gives him the floor.
"He (Putin - editor's note) knows very well that I personally do not need anything from the country," Sokurov says on the air of Echo of Moscow. “That everything I am talking about has to do only with the fate of the country or the industry of which I am a part. I very much remember our conversation when we were one on one and he asked me where I was for recent times... And I told him that I was in the Ulyanovsk region and that I had a heavy impression from one place. "What it is?" he says. - "Ulyanovsk plant" Aviastar ", an empty plant, where nothing is produced, where there are unfinished aircraft." And he listened in detail to all my impressions, without interrupting. In general, in a one-on-one conversation, he is completely different than in a public field ... Like Boris Nikolayevich, by the way. "
According to Sokurov, Putin really listens to people, but is influenced by the environment.
“He listens, he really listens. But it seems to me that he can be turned against those who systematically object to him, especially in public. That is, he can report anything about me. They tell me that the FSB is now developing. They are looking for some incriminating documents against me, something else. I cannot understand why ... ", - adds Sokurov. “I am sure that he himself does not perceive me as some kind of enemy. They always give me the floor. But meanwhile, it seems to me, we somehow do not fully hear each other. I understand that he may not listen to me or not fully listen ... ".
However, the director is sure that it is better to build communication with the help of personal meetings.
“And I think that there is, of course, a lack of direct conversation. This is a conversation in which it is impossible not to interrupt the person. I know he really doesn't like being interrupted. After talking about Sentsov [at a joint meeting of the Council for Culture and Arts and the Council for the Russian Language in December 2016 - Ed. ] many times made the remark how I dared to invade, stop, interrupt the President there several times. But at the same time, I did not feel any malicious irritation or vindictiveness on his part. It is very strange. I do sometimes behave harshly, but only because I am so alarmed by what is happening around me, I am so responsible for it ... It happens that I just do not fall asleep ... Anxiety is not from politics, not from an external war, but because from within happens to us, to those people who surround me. I know there are great compatriots of mine who will never dare to say even a tenth of what I say. "
When Shevardnadze asked what kind of artistic image of Putin would Sokurov make in his potential film about the president, he replied: “A man who stands at the foot of a very high steep mountain and does not know what will happen if he climbs to the top, whether there are even heavier peaks there and what to do: storm or equip everything at the bottom and with whom. The main thing is with whom. He sees who is next to him, and understands that to storm with them is not to rise. That would be the image. They are very different from Boris Nikolaevich. Yeltsin is a man who also stands, but surrounded by more reliable people on the bank of a very, very wide river, where you cannot see that bank and who is there on the bank. Here are two different images... Equally tragic, of course, and equally sympathetic. I am by nature an artistic person, not a journalist. And I like this medical model, which is probably applicable to cinematography or drama: we are hospital employees, some group of wounded and sick people are brought to us, and many of them are such scoundrels that it’s scary to touch them. But we must accept them, diagnose them at all costs, cure and return them to society. Not to throw into a hole, not to shoot, not to strangle, but to return to society. And let the people or, there, God judge these criminals. Art has no right to kill criminals. It has no right to kill at all ... ”.
Director Alexander Sokurov answered questions from readers and editors of Znak.com during the Days of Sokurov at the Yeltsin Center. Here are some excerpts from this great interview. You can read it in full at Znak.com.
Alexander Sokurov. Photo: Jaromir Romanov
- Don't you think that modern world leaders are becoming shallow right before our eyes? It is enough to compare the leaders of the leading European states and the United States with those who stood at the helm half a century ago, the comparison will clearly not be beneficial to the current ones. What do you think is the reason for the crisis of political elites?
- Indeed, degradation is evident. And this is due to the fact that they are not witnesses of major historical processes. Our life, of course, remains difficult, but today's leaders are unable to see it or anticipate it. That war with Ukraine is inevitable, I said ten years ago. Many then twirled their fingers at their temples, but for me it was quite obvious. And I wonder why this was not obvious to the Russian and Ukrainian leaders. This suggests that the current political elite is made up of short-sighted people. That the level of culture, intelligence, and indeed the scale of the individual is leveled today. Look at the current chancellor of Germany. What is it? Just a deplorable sight. And the Italian prime minister or the last presidents of France ...<...>
- You are the head of a public group of city rights activists, conducting a dialogue with the authorities on protection from the destruction of old St. Petersburg. Last year, you wrote a letter to the Governor of St. Petersburg, Poltavchenko, asking him not to name the bridge over the Duderhof Canal after Akhmat Kadyrov, but they didn’t listen to you.
- Unfortunately, the point has been raised on this issue. AND decision I see nothing other than terrorist activity on the territory of Russia. This threat comes from the Chechen sector. We are dealing with a bomb that can explode at any moment. In my opinion, this is a real military threat. Chechnya is a region of Russia that is not subject to Russia. It has its own army, and it only needs a signal to move these armed people in one direction. It is obvious to me that this is outside the Constitution of my country. And I'm sure a collision is inevitable for a variety of reasons. Of course, I hope that the president understands who Ramzan Kadyrov is, and the boundaries of his capabilities have probably been defined. But at the same time, I have no doubt that if an instruction to the armed people follows from him, then in a number of Russian cities there will be large casualties.
- At one time, you wrote a letter to Alexander Khloponin, who was the president's representative in the North Caucasian district, where you offered to convene a serious conference of Orthodox and Muslim clergy under the auspices of the state, raising political issues ...
And, of course, did not receive any answer. Nobody paid any attention to this. Meanwhile, we see what is happening. Young people who have escaped from the Caucasian cities behave outside all norms, not only of the life of Russians, but in general outside all moral norms. And law enforcement officers in Moscow are paralyzed by fear of Grozny, because it is there that death sentences are passed. And if a person is sentenced to death in Grozny, no one will be able to protect him.
- Few people dare to speak about it out loud. And it's clear why. Did you feel this danger yourself?
- Of course. But let me not be specific. I understand what I am doing and saying and that I will have to answer for this. And the federal government needs to answer the question: is the Constitution Russian Federation the law in force in all Russian state? If so, appropriate action should be taken. However, we see that this document no longer works. Maybe a new Constitution is being prepared?
It is with alcoholism that I associate the degradation of the Russian male population. Indeed, there is no such problem in Muslim regions. Religion there helps to preserve the national order. And since the Russians have long been a non-religious people, and our national way of life, closely associated with the rural way of life, was destroyed by the Bolsheviks, now we seem to have no support that would stop this fall into the abyss.
It is important that the government is seen. And they thought, looked for ways to hold the country together before it was too late. Citizens Russian Empire, and then the Soviet Union felt like a single whole, although there was no Internet or television ...<...>
I think people were held together by the idea of universal equality, some social guarantees, the idea of internationalism, a common cultural space, affordable free education ...
- I would even say an equally accessible high-quality education that a person could get in the capital, and in a small town, and in a remote aul, and in a Ryazan village. Basically, it was close to being realized. And today's education is class-based. So we will never have any Shukshin: in modern conditions he could not get an education. All my attempts to resist payments for higher education led to the fact that I ruined my relations with a large number of officials and rectors ... In general, you yourself answered your question, having formulated everything accurately enough.
- But if these "braces" do not work today, will Russia be able to withstand the current "braces"?
- Where I agree with the communists is that the church should be separated from the state. The current state, however, absolutely criminally disposes of relations with religious cults. We are making a gigantic mistake by giving up some of the power to the Orthodox Church. They are people, to put it mildly, strange and politically imprudent. As soon as a decision is made to create an Orthodox party, which will become one of the official state parties, the flywheel of the destruction of the country will start. Everything goes to that, and Russian Orthodox Church collects property to keep this party rich. But after all, large Muslim parties will appear next, and then the question of the existence of the Russian Federation will be removed from the agenda.
This is not difficult to foresee: if in a certain territory an Orthodox religious force receives a part of political power as a gift from the state, then, accordingly, in other places the Muslim population will quite rightly demand a part of political power for their religious organizations. Believe me, Muslims in this matter will not concede in anything. And when the interests of Orthodoxy and Islam enter into a political conflict between themselves, an interreligious war will begin - the worst thing that can ever happen. V civil war you can still agree, but in the religious world they fight to death. Nobody will give in. And everyone will be right in their own way.
“The task of the state is to develop education and determine the civilized framework of existence. Enlightenment, not mysticism. A thousand times enlightenment ... And the army, political parties, diplomacy and even the economy are all just tools of civilization. It is important to establish the "framework" of civilization. But modern society jumps out of this framework with great ease. And it does so today with greater desire than ever. It is itself. Without coercion ... People want it that way. " August 31, 2016
“It is high time for the Russian leadership, as well as the Chechen people, to answer the question about the war with Chechnya: what was it? A banal rebellion against Russia or a national liberation struggle? " August 31, 2016
Alexander Sokurov was born on June 14, 1951. At the age of 19 he started working in television. In 1975 he entered VGIK, where he received an Eisenstein scholarship for excellent studies. Finished my studies ahead of time due to a conflict with the administration of the institute and the leadership of the State Film Agency, who accused him of anti-Soviet sentiments. He started working at Lenfilm, but his films were not allowed to be shown. Most of them came out after perestroika, while they were awarded many prizes - in particular, he is a laureate of the State Prize of Russia, Honored Art Worker of Russia, People's Artist of Russia, and also the owner of the Tarkovsky Prize. Sokurov has also received numerous international awards: he is the owner of the Golden Lion, the FIPRESCI prize at the Cannes IFF, and has been repeatedly nominated for the Palme d'Or. The director's filmography includes dozens of films, including The Lonely Voice of a Man, Mother and Son, Russian Ark, Faust and others.
“In addition to the general economic problems, which I spoke about at the meeting of the councils, there are also political ones, and they are very serious. These political problems do not allow the creation of modern fiction and documentary films at a high content level. A step to the left, a step to the right - threats, censorship, the film is not released ... " December 7, 2016
“Where are these politicians with a humanitarian consciousness when they will appear? There are no such people in Russia. At least I don't see them. If they asked me who needs to be woken up, I would say - Tolstoy, Thomas Mann. Wake Goethe at least for a short time so that he looks at all this, so that at least one phrase from him is heard, and then let him sleep on. There are not enough people of this magnitude who could look into the future! " September 11, 2015
“We understand perfectly well that, firstly, we are not protecting the filmmaker Sentsov, but a young man who has committed political actions. As a director, he has not yet taken place. Now his name in a political sense is much higher than his professional and other skills. We understand perfectly well that this is an absolutely political conflict and the problem of one call. " September 11, 2015
“I have been outside Russia for a long time and in general now, observing myself, I understand that I listen to Echo of Moscow less and less, I practically do not watch Dozhd, although I am subscribed to it, and practically do not read Novaya newspaper ". And when I tried to understand why this is happening to me, I realized that ... That these amazing respected fellow citizens of mine lagged behind the train - they do not know how to form their political tactics and strategy. " September 22, 2015
“Every day I understand how dirty this policy is. And from all sides - there is not a single clean table at which these hygienic people sit with clean napkins and talk about some lofty things. " September 22, 2015
“The best of us are our great humanists, the rebels are dissidents. They laid the foundation for the fight against political slyness. They fought for human rights when millions were silent. And these were young citizens. It was these people who brought our modern politicians and our billionaires to power. Thanks to them, religious cults gained freedom. Suicide is not to appreciate, not to take care of young compatriots. " February 10, 2014 open letter Vladimir Putin
“There is no work in our country to develop the idea of federalism. The country is developing, the people are changing, the world is changing irreversibly ... And our federation is like a distant rock. National ambitions will inevitably change. We'll have to deal with it somehow. People have not yet learned how to solve national problems in a peaceful way ”. June 2, 2014
Political statements of cultural figures
“A non-whipped generation has woken up. I woke up, woke up and realized what was happening. History has run out of patience, patience in the air has run out. Young people who are obliged to take to the streets, they did come out. "
“Art has enough filters from directors, art directors, critics, the soul of the artist himself. These are the bearers of morality. There is no need to pretend that power is the only bearer of morality and ethics. This is not true".
“There are millions of people in our country, each of whom chooses a profession, studies for a long time, improves in order to become a master of his craft. Teachers know how to teach, doctors how to heal, artists how to create. And suddenly statesmen appear who begin to teach and "treat" them all over again. Who awarded them with impeccable qualifications in all forms at once? human activity? When, finally, will the officials understand that their business is to organize and support the work of people, and not give them their "orders"?
“During these 15 years, of course, the level of morality in society has fallen dramatically, and all restrictions have been removed, because the state has no right to interfere. And we do not interfere, and this is also very bad. "
“Since 2000 and throughout all subsequent years from elections to elections, I vote and express my support for a specific person - Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. And I seriously believe that if it were not for Putin, there would be no country. "
“I said in 2008 that a war with Ukraine is inevitable. But I said in the same interview that this war will happen if today - that is, in 2008 - work to prevent it does not begin. There is nothing phenomenal here. You just need to know the history. " June 2, 2014
“I have no doubt - I spoke about this both to the president and at various public meetings - that the country needs a serious reform of the system and reform of the criminal law, which would concern the forms and methods of restricting freedom for young people. I am sure of this, and no one will be able to convince me ”. June 3, 2014
“There is no divinity in this very concept -“ power ”, but there are living people who act on the basis of their human instincts and characters. And Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin acted on the basis of his character. And Putin acts on the basis of his character. It is character that determines political action, not imaginary laws historical development... Power is always in the hands of people who are seized by the element of their own character. Moral people, conscientious, hardly live in power, because morality puts them certain restrictions. And no matter how they brought up the future tsar, all the same, the problems with the people and the state did not disappear anywhere. " November 2013
