Written and directed by - Dmitry Frolov Operators - Dmitry Frolov and Mark Nahamkin Starring - Dmitry Frolov Characters - Vyacheslav Gridin, Alexander Korsakov, Mark Nahamkin (in the role of Death) Premiere of the Soviet Union - at the II Festival of parallel cinema was held in Leningrad, March 3, 1989

The Way

36 min., b/w, 1988-2009

Three friends meet in a central cheerful pastime. After strolling along the boulevards, they are in nature. The dark side of the forest reveals the subconscious of each. And none of them are unaware of the existence of the world of the forces that awaken in man hidden until the time of the dark side of their personalities. The metaphor of the film is laid bare hidden from direct view the laws of nature to be reckoned with, are unaware of their presence, man      The film conveys the unique color of the first years of perestroika, when dreams are not in conflict with reality, and belief in the bright future of the country was not something unrealizable, Although the whole mood of the film prophesies about something inevitable and irrevocable. Written and directed by - Dmitry Frolov operator - Dmitry Frolov Characters - Dmitry Frolov, Dmitry Shibanov, Mark Nahamkin * * * About parallel cinema and not only      We're talking with Dmitry Frolov. A person who easily combines the incompatible: successful work on television and the promotion of their own experiments in the field of cinema      - Dmitry. You received "TEFI-2008" as the best operator of the documentary film, in television, and at the same time are one of the leading Directors of Russian independent cinema. What kind of activity You could name the most important thing in your life?      - All things important in life, and share I would not. Especially in my case, I'm your films are always shot himself as the operator. First, due to the fact that there was no one to stand behind the camera. Then because it was easier to do it without having to explain to anyone my thoughts and images I have always been treated very kind. In fact, without separation of the profession, I was all in his first movies! And a bunch of Director-actor-operator was present in me all the time. Moreover, I didn't even know at first who I was anymore! This is especially evident in my very first works.      - When did you start to shoot their own movie? What prompted you to do so?      - It all started with the appearance of our home movie camera. It was a beautiful, new, quite modern for the 1975 spring chamber with rare plant and for our country, the time format "Super 8 mm". Her father bought for my show, and I was the first who tried it, for which he was then punished. Somehow, these frames are preserved, and Andrew Chezhin, our well-known photographer, put them a few years ago at the exhibition "My first film." As it turned out, a sense of composition was inherent in me from birth. Since each of the summer trip with my parents, I brought a film about seen cities and places. A first feature film I planned to remove the impression from reading the book Valentin Pikul "In the latest features" on the fate and the last days of Grishka Rasputin. It was a naive illustration, played out by me and my school friends in 1979. And I liked this thing! I decided to fill a gap in their knowledge of the actor's craft and went first to the youth studio "Angle", and then entered the TYUT.      - How are your films relate to the phenomenon of "parallel cinema"?      - To begin with we state that it is for the phenomenon: "Parallel Cinema" appeared as a term in the second half of the 80s and combines the authors, who are either in collaboration or independently of each other, filmed movies without crossing an official cinematic flow, made out of structures of state film studios ( there were parallel to it). The aim of the authors was a free, not subject to any censorship, creative statement. Let us remember that it was during the time: just announced a "restructuring" of the country, and newspapers with magazines made timid attempts to freely publish free opinion about what is happening around on their pages. For the first time the works Dovlatov, Harms, Solzhenitsyn became available to a wider audience, in "Ogonyok" appeared reproductions of Kandinsky, Malevich and Filonov. Many Soviet people who are far from art, first heard the term "surrealism" in the context of work previously unheard of Salvador Dali. There are authors and film. However, all the equipment that was available to them was now the now-classic movie camera "Krasnogorsk" format and 16 mm. The sound was recorded on a reel tape recorder without synchronizing with the image. I shot his films himself and is striking, did not know about the existence of the others! First I learned about them in late 1988, after the filming of his movie "Dream" and "The Way", shot in classical aesthetics "parallel cinema". Well, there intersections with other authors at the "parallel cinema" at the Leningrad House of Cinema in spring 1989.      -Your early work, "Dream" and "The Way" - whether they are, in your opinion, the first domestic horror? After the first version of "Mister Designer" (without sound) and did not reach the audience, and your movies show up repeatedly, albeit a narrow circle, during reconstruction?      - Classic display similar: free apartment from the parents, stretched sheet, primitive portable projector "Schoolboy" or at best "Ukraine". These projectors staffed kinoklassy in Soviet schools. "Schoolboy" was very primitive: a film strip after contact with them quickly wore out, and since each film was a one-off, there was a threat, sooner or later will lose it forever! I thought it was my "parallel" movies! But the miracle of restoration saved them from oblivion. Proof of this - the disc. Are they a horror, especially the first, I do not know! More precisely, I do not think. There were also films "Little Tragedies" or "Wii", for example. A "Mr. designer" just struck me! He was released in late 1988. What I had already removed his aforementioned films. However, in a strange way, I saw on the screen shots, surprisingly similar to mine! Truly, the ideas are in the air, and we Teptsovym independently from each other are connected to the related areas of energy!      - What made you who grew up in the years of stagnation, these experiments? After all, any of your work prior to 1991 can be applied not only ideological clichés, but it is certain articles of the Criminal Code. In earlier works - of the anti-Soviet, but if you remember the "Clownery", even for pornography. I was afraid to take that risk?      - It is the desire to resist stagnation and ideological clichés of that time gave rise to the ideas and images that I am happy to me embodied affordable way. Then I began to frantically draw and even participated in exhibitions of avant-garde artists. But after a few years, having written three dozen paintings, I gave up painting, but continued to shoot the movie. A few movies every now and then glimpses of my paintings. Yes, there was a risk. In 1989, in the film "Clownery" was quite frank erotic scene. By that time, the domestic film industry was a "Little Vera" yes "Crew", which flashed the female breast. And then .. vagina close-up ... This time has not been removed! By the way, in the first film "The bigmoon Night's" had similar frames. In addition, the film was subjected to the image of Lenin is quite ambiguous and hard obstruction (brilliant "Lenin mushroom" was uttered Kurehin much later). By the way, you know that the director of "independent" cinema, I also called himself the first in space of the USSR? This term we have not existed in the country. It was in the beginning of 1991 year. My friends invited me to the theater creative evening at the Palace of Culture. Gorky showing films. I did not know how to name themselves in the posters. The term "parallel" has outlived its usefulness. Many former authors of this trend began to create in the structure of the official film. And the aesthetic quest forms somewhat outdated. Now I am interested in the depth of the images. But, as the movie I still do, regardless of the official structures, and I came up with this nickname for themselves "independent".      - Almost all movies are made with the same team. Why did you choose these people?      - The backbone of this team was formed in the theater-studio "NEO". This unique in its kind theater emerged at precisely the most heady time of freedom, collapsed when the shackles of totalitarianism, and all breathed spring air the beginning of perestroika. We were at an age when everything seems to be on the shoulder. He was the leader - Toll Strelnikov, had an idea - to establish an independent theater, was a living historical example - Taganka Theater. It is no accident in the repertoire of the theater was the play «The Good Person of Szechwan»! (We all know the legendary performance of the Taganka Theater, "The Good Person of Szechwan") Then there was an association of young people, days and nights lost in the walls of the theater.  Therefore, after the collapse of the team in spring 1989 due to a conflict with the troupe glavrezhem many guys rallied around my film project. Thus was born the film "Clownery". It made its debut in the starring Natasha Surkov, later starred at me almost every movie, there's starred Dima Shibanov (it debuted earlier - in "The Way" movie), where played a prominent role Jack Suhonenkov, Vic Zlotnikov, Alexander Kostin and other former "NEO" actors. In the future, psychophysics knowing these people, their outer plastic and specificity, I fantasized, having already had them in mind. Thus, there was no particular need to look around. However, this does not change and does not negate the emergence of new images and personalities. So we come to the «Night of the Full Moon» Oriza Trizn'ak in «Shatanger Aylok» Nikolay Muraviev and Alex Shuvalov, Peter Kremis at «Above the Lake». There are other examples.      - Now you - a person whose professional activity is in demand, and repeatedly awarded various prizes. Do you intend to continue working in film or decided to devote himself to the television?      - On television and in the official movie I work professionally operator. This is my work activities related to making money. I do not hack-work, work honestly. But these are different things: an independent director and a professional cameraman! I note as a warning to young people: it is impossible to live on one independent creativity! I would have to do something about it: someone is engaged in design, some TV. There are those who went on their way Tsoi, it is now running in a few boiler or on a construction site. In the best case, the sale of CDs and rare shows I barely paid for his low-budget opus (and not completely). Therefore, I dedicate myself to television and, if possible, continue to shoot an independent film.      - Are you interested in directing, or you find yourself as a cinematographer?      Let us define: Directing in the theater understanding and management of the images in my mind is a little bit different professions, but they are called by the same word. I am interested in directing my understanding. As my camera work. I do not see any sense and the opposition completely different incarnations of my work, requiring different skills and abilities.      - Will you deal with the promotion of the viewer has to make a film?      - I almost never refuse offers to show their work, because I believe that the time the film was made - it has to be someone seen! Moreover, that sincere and honest work are always interested in more than ticky-tacky soap opus, with which filled almost all esters. In this sense any honest film useful dishonest. Good for your health!        Interview by Cyrus Lavrenteva uCoz