Yakut horror and Sakhalin arthouse: 12 worthy films shot in the regions of Russia

Many people still have a biased attitude towards Russian cinema. And about the films that are shot in the regions, some do not know at all. However, they participate in international festivals, are nominated for honorary awards - from the Berlinale to the Oscars - and break box office records.

Regional cinema is flourishing. There is still a lot of work ahead, but even now you can watch several films that are not inferior in quality to foreign films without shame and embarrassment.

1. The geographer drank away the globe

• Perm region, 2013.
• Drama, adventure.
• Duration: 120 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.3.

After the 37-year-old biologist Viktor Sluzhkin is fired from the research institute, he goes to work in a regular Perm school as a geography teacher. But a quiet life does not last long: he loses to a local hooligan in cards and he has to take the class to rafting on a mountain river. And this dangerous journey is not for every adult.

The film is based on an autobiographical

book Alexei Ivanov, who himself lived in Perm for a long time and worked as a teacher. The main role is played by Konstantin Khabensky.

But the children were selected in ordinary Perm schools. The film hooligan Gradusov is completely different from his book prototype, but, according to the writer, his character "hit the nail on the head."

For some especially dangerous scenes on the Usva River, stuntmen were invited, but the young actors themselves had to not easyHooligan Gradusov about shooting in the "Geographer drank the globe away": "At the casting, everyone liked my ears" / Komsomolskaya Pravda.

But all these efforts were not in vain: movie received not only laudatory reviews from critics, but also film awards - including Kinotavr, Golden Eagle, Nika and others. And most importantly - he fell in love with the Russian and foreign audience.

The fans even made up tour Perm "Where the geographer drank away the globe." Sluzhkin's house and his place of work are marked on the route - a real Perm school, a kindergarten that Tata went to, and other iconic places.

2. Seagulls

• Republic of Kalmykia, 2015.
• Drama.
• Duration: 87 minutes.
• IMDb: 6.7.

Elsa is the wife of a Kalmyk fisherman. She has been dreaming for a long time leave her husband, but does not decide on it. However, soon her measured life comes to an end, and the heroine will have to gain freedom and self-confidence.

"The Seagulls" became the first tape filmed in the republic for a long time. When the film's director, Ella Manzheeva, began working on it, many spokeElla Manzheeva and Elena Glikman: “This is a unique case for cinema, because films have not been made in Kalmykia for several decades” / ProfiCinema: “Kalmyk cinema? Nobody needs it." In addition, she faced the problem of film production in the region. The locals struggled to engage in dialogue.

Only three professional actors starred in the film, all the rest were selected according to their type. To help them get used to the role, Ella tried to keep the setting realistic. For example, there was not a single professional lighting fixture in the interiors of the houses to make the artists feel comfortable.

And Sergei Adyanov, who plays the role of Elsa's husband, she asked to go out with the fishermen in seato be imbued with their craft. The actor understood that he was taking a big risk. Winter fishing in Kalmykia is a dangerous activity.

The film was presented at the 65th Berlinale, received awards at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, Palic, was noted at the Kinotavr, Nika and UNESCO Awards.

Now Manzheeva is working on a new film - "White Road!", The presentation of which has already taken place at the Cannes Film Festival. Ella hopes that Kalmyk cinema will not end at The Seagulls - she would like the region to develop its own style and film language.

3. My killer

Saysary Kүөlge

• Republic of Sakha, 2016.
• Detective thriller.
• Duration: 105 minutes.
• IMDb: 6.2.

A young operative investigates the mysterious murder of a girl. It turns out to be easy to find the culprit: he himself admits to what he did. crime.

And it would seem that the task is completed. However, noticing inconsistencies in the case, the main character decides to study the issue in more detail. The search leads him to the settlement of gold miners, where new details of the life of the murdered emerge.

The script of the film was written based on the book by the Yakut author Egor Neymokhov "The Incident on Lake Saysary". It describes two real murders that took place in 1970-1980 in the Republic of Sakha.

In the film version, the action is moved to modern times, but the details are preserved. The operatives who worked with this case in the USSR were even involved in the filming process. Also documentary footage of the gold mining process was used in the film.

The author's style of the film's director, Costas Marsan, is often compared to that of Wong Kar-wai and David Lynch: deep noble colors, depressing atmosphere, play of light and shadow, thriller elements and horror.

Film critics called "My Killer" taiga noir. In 2016, the film was nominated for the Golden Globe Award and shown at the II-Asian World Film Festival, an authoritative Asian film festival.

4. Savage

Qyragay

• Republic of Bashkortostan, 2017.
• Drama.
• Duration: 25 minutes.
• IMDB: no.

The main character has been working in the north on a rotational basis for a long time. However, urgent news makes him return to his native land, where he will have a difficult conversation with his mother about family secrets and life values.

The role of the son was played by the actor of the Bashkir Drama Theater Artur Kabirov, the mother was played by the People's Artist of the USSR Gyulli Mubaryakova. The footage of the Ufa steppes and hospital No. 21 got into the tape.

The work was awarded the prize of the VI All-Russian Pitching Debutants of the Union of Cinematographers of Russia and received awards at regional Russian festivals.

5. tightness

• Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, 2017.
• Drama.
• Duration: 118 minutes.
• IMDb: 6.8.

The plot of the film is based on a true story that took place in the 1990s in Nalchik, the birthplace of director Kantemir Balagov.

A Jewish family celebrates the engagement of their youngest son. However, at night the young couple kidnapped and demand a ransom for them. Nobody wants to go to the police. All hope is on the eldest daughter Ilana, who must earn money at the cost of her own freedom.

In 2017, the film was shown at the Cannes Film Festival and won the FIPRESCI award. Film Festival President Thierry Fremaux commentedWeekend plans: ideas for August 5 and 6 / RBC Style it's like a "rebirth of the film industry" in Russia.

6. In the arms of the sea

• Sakhalin region, 2017.
• Short, drama, fantasy.
• Duration: 19 minutes.
• IMDB: no.

One of the last summer days, three friends decided to go to the lake. And everything would be fine, but one of them suddenly became a fish. However, this did not prevent the comrades from still going to nature.

In this short film, director Dmitry Moiseev reflects on the theme of natural and migratory decline in the population of the Sakhalin region. For him, this is a very personal matter - the filmmaker also had to move from his native land to the capital Moscow. Nevertheless, he does not forget his region and treats it with special tenderness, because it was this environment that shaped him.

The feelings of his countrymen are mutual: they consider Moiseev one of the brightest representatives of the Sakhalin wave. For the film "In the arms of the sea" he received prizes at the "Kinotavr" and the South Sakhalin festival "Edge of the World".

7. From Ufa with love

• Republic of Bashkortostan, 2017.
• Comedy.
• Duration: 100 minutes.
• IMDb: 6.4.

Back from armies, the protagonist discovers that all his plans have been shattered. The bride went to the capital's major, and even sold a family heirloom - an engagement ring, given to her in honor of her engagement. The guy understands: the family will not forgive the loss of jewelry. Therefore, by all means, you need to find it!

The film's artist, Aigul Bayramgulova, says that it took a very long time to select the ring. The team went around all the antique shops to find "the one". As a result, the Ufa collector helped. He agreed without hesitation to lend the film crew a ring from his shop.

It was not easy with the selection of locations. In total, the film included about 30 real Ufa restaurants, shops, squares and lanes. Got into the frame and events"From Ufa with love": a look from the inside / Likesthat were taking place in the city at that moment - "Symphonic Night" and "Design Market Ufa".

"From Ufa with Love" is the first modern Bashkir film released in federal distribution. In Ufa cinemas, he broke the record for box office among national films, stepping overFees. "From Ufa with love" / Kinopoisk mark of 5.2 million rubles.

8. deep rivers

• Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, 2018.
• Drama.
• Duration: 75 minutes.
• IMDb: 6.4.

The family lives on the outskirts of the forest. The youngest son comes home to help his father and brothers prepare wood. During his absence, nothing has changed: relatives are at enmity with neighbors, tearing their health to feed themselves, and every day they get up with the thought that the river on which the house stands can at any moment spill.

The return of the youngest son gives hope to the heroes, but in the end it only exacerbates the isolation and conflict with the locals.

Filmmakers from the North Caucasus wordsThe water is rising. "Deep Rivers" by Vladimir Bitokov / Session Bitokov, have a special vision that helps them create films, taking into account the specifics of the region. For example, "Deep Rivers" was filmed in the Kabardian language - for the director, who advocates the preservation of the culture of small peoples, this was a fundamental decision.

Actors were also searched among the locals. To get used to the role, they worked for several days together with professional foresters national parkcutting down diseased trees. And some residents who did not pass the casting volunteered to help. They were just interested in participating in the process of making the film.

Filming took place in Bitokov's homeland, near Nalchik. The house built for the film was located in the Adyl-Su Gorge in the Elbrus National Park.

However, in 2017, almost immediately after filming was completed, a mudflow occurred in that place, which killed dozens of people, demolished the hut and completely changed the natural landscape. Therefore, now you can see how the place looked like only in the "Deep Rivers".

In 2018, for Deep Rivers, Bitokov received a prize at the Kinotavr and attracted the attention of critics to Kabardian cinema.

9. Kira

• Republic of Tatarstan, 2019.
• Comedy.
• Duration: 75 minutes.
• IMDB: no.

Mansur is a fighter for the purity of the Tatar language. He lived all his life in Kazan in the family nest and did not intend to leave from there. Everything changed when Kamil, a Moscow Tatar who completely severed the connection with his roots, knocked on his door.

He arrived for a reason, but with an order from the capital's development: Mansur's house must be demolished, because a metro station will be located on this site. Thus begins a serious confrontation between the two fellow countrymen.

The idea for the film came to the directors, Ilseyar Damaskin and Rustam Rashitov, after they received feedback on their previous project Unsent Letters.

Therefore, in one of the episodes, where Mansur harshly criticizes the modern press and cinema, frames of “Unsent Letters” flash on his TV.

The film fell in love with the people of Tatarstan and received prizes at the Moscow film festival "We will live" and Work-IN-Progress MIFF-2018. Fun fact: There is a pink goat in this feed.

10. Scarecrow

• Republic of Sakha, 2020.
• Drama.
• Duration: 72 minutes.
• IMDb: 6.3.

Scarecrow - healer. People avoid and fear her. But she still goes to their aid: stops bleeding, relieves stuttering, helps to give birth. Even though she knows that power will someday destroy her. In return, Scarecrow receives vodka, food, and firewood.

Dmitry Davydov, who created this film, is a non-professional director. Along with filming, have workedHow a rural teacher Dmitry Davydov made the film "Scarecrow" in 11 days and became a star of film festivals / Forbes primary school teacher in a Yakut village. To form a budget for Scarecrow, he had to borrow money and arrange loans for himself.

Nevertheless, the game was worth the candle: at the box office the film collectedFees. "Scarecrow" / Kinopoisk about 9 million rubles and received a prize at the Kinotavr film festival.

Filming took place in the winter in the Amginsky district of Yakutia. All locations are real. In the houses captured on film, people really live. At the same time, supporting actors, extras are acquaintances of Davydov, local residents of the village.

The main character, whose role was played by the Yakut pop singer Valentina Romanova-Chykyyray, had also never acted in films before. Davydov found a recording of her concert on the Internet and immediately realized that it was perfect for the film.

At Kinotavr and Nika, the actress received prizes for best actress. In addition, "Scarecrow" was presented at international venues in France and Norway, where it also did not go unnoticed.

11. Elsa's white road

• Republic of Khakassia, 2020.
• Drama, adventure.
• Duration: 76 minutes.
• IMDB: no.

The picture is based on real events. This is a story about a 6-year-old girl who lost her parents. She lives with her grandparents in a remote Siberian settlement a few kilometers from civilization. All around is winter taiga, wild animals.

Everything would be fine, but one day Elsa has to go to the neighboring village alone, with two cakes and a box of matches in her pocket. And along the way, she can easily meet wild animals.

The film was shot by the Khakassian director Yuri Kurochka, who is very sensitive to nature. He speaks"In! Time…". Yuri Kurochka, director of Khakasfilm / Abakan24 / Youtubethat the main place of his work is the State Committee for the Protection of Wildlife and the Environment.

Yuri travels to nature reserves and national parks, helps with educational film lectures for children, and even maintains his own YouTube channel, in which he shares unpretentious sketches from the life of animals.

Love for nature is also reflected in the way Kurochka makes films. In Elsa's White Road, for example, many shots are devoted to the taiga: tall cedar pines, endless snowy expanses, wild wolves and foxes.

The film was shot in the Khakass language, you can watch it with Russian subtitles. It was first shown at the Khakass Film Festival and immediately fell in love with the audience.

12. Nuuccia

• Republic of Sakha, 2022.
• Drama.
• Duration: 107 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.

The events of the film take place at the end of the 19th century in the Yakut taiga. A couple of peasants face cold, hunger and the loss of a newborn baby. In addition to this, the family is ordered to take a Russian into their home. political prisoner, which begins to behave like a host. At some point, the Yakuts have a suspicion that the uninvited guest is not at all the one he claims to be.

The film is based on the story "Hailak" by the Polish writer Vaclav Seroshevsky, who spent several years in exile in Siberia. Both in the tape and in the book, the problem of oppression of small peoples is read. Therefore, Nuuccia can be called anti-colonial cinema, which, in the context of the modern agenda, is of interest to film critics.

It is no coincidence that the film appeared on the long list of contenders for the Oscar-2023, and in 2021 took awardsThe film "Nuuccia" / Kinopoisk at Kinotavr and the Karlovy Vary festival. Soon "Nuuccia" will be released in wide Russian distribution.