In the spring of 1975 Dmitry`s fatger, Alexey, bought on tbe exghibition an experience model of format "Super 8" cinemacamera, that had just arrived in USSR. He even couldn`t suppose this thing will predetermine his son`s passion and became the deal of his life. Interesting, that first who tried the camera was Dmitry, had taken it without permission while the father wasn`t at home, and made a few of sequences. Since that day son had never left the new camera, and everything happened in his life was taped. In such a way were shooted family`s joyrides by car along the country, school celebrations and birthdays, summer holidays and winter games, - all of "middle class" Soviet schoolboy life. But once time there came a day, when Dmitry desided to try himself in role cinema, invited his schoolfriends and made in 1979 V. Picul`s "By the last line" film version, that had taken the screen time of 10 minutes. That naive film about Grishcka Rasputin life had started the serie of role shortfilms on "Super 8" ("Mayakovsky human" 1980, "Amur`s arrows" 1981, "Cupid`s spears" 1982, "A letter to future" 1981- 1982). That serie was finished with "The Battle Borodino". "Borodino battle" wasn`t like first works, it was really different with its rised professionality, and more, it was made like silent comedy, historical cheap popular film. Besides, later this method was used by Sergey Ovcharov (films "it" and "Left-hander"). But we had to take in account, that this style wasn`t it is claimed in Soviet cinema these days. Had seen a film, a famous theateral and cinema director was admired of it and offered to sell it to TV. But his plan couldn`t be realised. If we remember the 1983, we woul understand, why had it happened. Let`s remember the time of Andropov ruling, when every cultural society liabled to trials, art-works were hardly censured, and people were cought on the street in the middle of the day and being asked, why weren`t they on their working places. Could these time let the fiery, sparkling comedy to live on the official TV? The comedy, which closest "relatives" were works of Max Linder and best films of sixties, and even more: had the historical basic! No; this picture was had has to live in undergruond and flat-exhgibitions. Nevertheless, wide screen rendered this film its due. "Borodino`s battle" took part in special programm of the "Vivat, Russian cinema!" festival, dedicated to cinemathography anniversary, in august 1995.
Ivan Pavlov (translated by D. Rutazveli)
