Russia

The banishment

35mm - color – 150’
 
Direction: Andrej Zvjagincev
Script: Oleg Něgin, Andrej Zvjagincev based on the story The Laughing Matter by William Saroyan
Photography: Michail Kričman
Editing: Anna Mass
Music: Andrey Dergachev, Arvo Pärt
Cast: Konstantin Lavronenko, Maria Bonnevie, Alexander Baluev, Maxim Shibaev.
Producer: Dmitrij Lesněvskij
Production: Ren Film

SYNOPSIS

Alex takes his wife Vera and their two small children out of town to spend a few days in the house where he grew up, located in an isolated spot in rolling countryside. During their stay, Vera announces to Alex that she is pregnant and that the child isn’t his. Alex, incensed, insists she has an abortion. He sends the children to stay with friends for a few days and, with the help of his brother Mark, makes the arrangements for the operation to go ahead. The whole episode is not without its consequences, however, which force Alex to reflect on the legitimacy of his actions. Inspired by the short novel by William Saroyan (The Laughing Matter, 1953) the film depicts a family in crisis. The director takes us to an indeterminate time and place (the film was actually shot in Moldavia, Belgium and France), and the two main characters are played by Konstantin Lavronenko and star of Scandinavian film Maria Bonnevie.

THE DIRECTOR: ANDREY ZVYAGINTSEV

(b. 1964, Novosibirsk) studied acting at the Novosibirsk Drama School (1984) and then at GITIS in Moscow (1990). He acted in several theatre productions and also appeared in commercials. He was cast in episodic roles for various TV series (Getting Acquainted / Budyem znakomy, 1999) and also in films such as Shirli-Myrli (1995, dir. Vladimir Menshov, screened in Karlovy Vary in 1996). He began working as a director with the TV crime series Black Room (Chornaya komnata, 2000), filming three episodes. In 2003 he debuted with the feature film The Return, who won the Venice festival in 2003. The strongly spiritual dimension of his narration also characterises his next film The Banishment, for which he again teamed up with cinematographer Mikhail Krichman.

DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT

The meaning behind the ending with the women in the field will be interpreted by some in the following way: Russia will endure everything and will fray everything through. For me this is strange because there is no Russia in my film, it is the myth of eternal return, the natural and Christian cycle of life. When we are guided by other’s opinions, we become like the institution of the Focus Group. You need to be true to a film and not to someone else’s opinion. Just like in life, you can’t even listen to a wise man, you have to do what you think is right. To change the film I have to feel the necessity to do it from inside.

FILMOGRAPHY

2003 The return (Il ritorno)
2007 The banishment (Izgnanije)

AWARDS

2007 Cannes: Best Actor Award to Konstantin Lavronenko
2003 Venice: Golden Lion to Andrej Zvjagincev for The return