Russian Film Week Programme 2017
19 November, Sunday
Opening night
Science Museum IMAX
15:30 Press accreditation
16:00 Press conference with film stars and guests of honour present
16:30-17:30 Red carpet arrivals, reception
17:30-20:00 Screening with Q&A
20:00-22:45 Afterparty with DJ Sergey Mongayt, champagne reception (by invitation)
23:00 Carriages
Attraction 12+ (Running time: 2h 10min)
Year: 2016
Country: Russia
Director: Fedor Bondarchuk
Screenplay: Oleg Malovichko, Andrey Zolotarev, Olga Larionova
Producers: Fedor Bondarchuk, Dmitriy Rudovskiy, Mikhail Vrubel
Cast: Irina Starshenbaum, Alexandr Petrov, Rinal Mukhametov, Oleg Menshikov, Nikita Kukushkin
Genre: sci-fi, romance
Subtitled
After an alien ship crash lands onto a Russian city, many who saw it and the occupants start to question their own existence while there are those who demand the aliens leave Earth.
Q&A with director Fedor Bondarchuk, producers, actor Alexandr Petrov and vfx effects supervisor Arman Yahin
Trailer: https://youtu.be/Qcov4WPcTE4
Address: Exhibition Road, South Kensington,London, SW7 2 DD
20 November, Monday
18:00
Regent Street Cinema
24 Snow ( Running time: 1h 33min)
Year: 2016
Country: Russia
Producer: Mikhayil Barynin
Genre: documentary
Subtitled
Extreme climate of the Arctic Yakutia is an everyday survival challenge, forcing a human to struggle with nature and himself. This region attracts people who are looking for freedom and independence – everything here depends on a human; as there is no roads, electricity and hundreds of kilometres away from the nearest community. Our hero is a horse breeder living in a tundra and taking care of his cattle. Еvery year, Sergei spends more time away from his village, only meeting his family several times per year on horse breeders festivities and while bringing home horsemeat. A harassing living routine in the North shows who exactly is this human in reality.
Trailer: https://youtu.be/Qcov4WPcTE4
Address: 307 Regent Street, London W1B 2HW
20:30
Regent Street Cinema
All will end soon 15+ (Running time 1h 52min)
Year: 2017
Country: Russia
Director: Alexey Rybin
Screenplay:Alexey Rybin
Producers: Igor Gudkov, Alexey Rybin
Cast: Ksenia Skakun, Mikhail Sivorin, Sergei Losev, Igor Golovin, Ivan Batarev
Genre: drama
Subtitled
Mikhail Nosov is an ordinary working man. His lonely life consists of operating the factory machinery, watching TV, surfing the net in his tiny rented flat and dirty clubbing. One day Nosov meets a prostitute who calls herself Diana. She moves in with him and becomes his full-time escort. After getting to know the ‘real’ Diana, Nosov’s life, his habits and priorities are changed forever.
Q&A with director Alexey Rybin
Address: 307 Regent Street, London W1B 2HW
21 November, Tuesday
17:00
Waterstones, Piccadilly
Short Film Programme
Young Cinematographers Forum
MERRY-GO-ROUND
Director and scriptwriter Ruslan Bratov
Producer Grigory Dobrygin
Cast: Evgeny Sytiy, Alexey Vertkov, Pavel Vorozhtsov, Sergey Abroskin
13 min
Comedy
Russia, 2017
Colour
The restaurant is closing, and Oleg Maratovich wants to go on celebrating. Taking along three of his employees, who are no longer able to resist, he sets off in search of an adventure. The story then has a completely unexpected twist.
MILK
Director and scriptwriter Daria Vlasova
Producer Yanna Buryak
Cast: Vitaly Khodin, Yaroslava Bazaeva, Maria Bolonkina, Gleb Orlov, Moorka
Russia, Lithuania, 2017
15 min
Colour
High up on the 14th floor of a tower block, a seemingly perfect family live in their spotless, shiny apartment. One fine morning, they find themselves faced with a bizarre dilemma: what should one do with a cow in the kitchen? It doesn't take long for the house-trained colossus to win the hearts of everyone in the family. Only Grandpa still has some serious doubts.
THE FIRST
Director Lado Kvatania
Scriptwriter Andrey Koroteev
Producer Ekaterina Kononenko
Cast: Maria Krylova, Vladimir Verevochkin
Russia, 2017
23 min 30 sec
Drama
Colour
The USSR in the 1960s. A young woman, Marina, lives in a solitary farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. One morning, while out in the field, she discovers a mysterious metal sphere, and inside it, an unconscious man wearing an orange flight suit and a white helmet...
THE PASSENGER
Director and producer Egor Abramenko
Cast: Artur Smolyaninov
Russia, 2017
11 min 16 sec
Colour
A Russian cosmonaut grapples with post-traumatic stress following his return from orbit. But that's not all he's brought back.
HUH
Director and scriptwriter Irina Vilkova
Producer Vsevolod Lisovsky
Cast: Danyil Vorobyov, Alexey Ilyin, Irina Vilkova
Russia, 2016
15 min
Comedy
Colour
It is a story about the fickleness of relationships between adult children, about the eternal search for love and the inability to see it when it comes.
PERCENT
Director Vladimir Kudryashov
Scriptwriter Ernesto Suarez
Producers Maxim Dobromyslov, Vladimir Kudryashov, Kirill Cheremhin
Drama, thriller
Russia, 2017
18 min 11 sec
Colour
Vladimir offers money to Nicholas, as Nicholas’ firm is on the verge of bankruptcy. Nicholas at first doesn’t recognize the man, but Vladimir tells Nicholas that he had arranged the bankruptcy of the Nicolas' company and messed up his life some 30 years ago...
THE LAW OF THE EXCLUDED THIRD OR NO THIRD IS GIVEN
Director, screenwriter and producer Alexandra Sokolovskaya
Cast: Yulia Aug, Nikolay Kovbas, Maria Ivashchenko
24min 20 sec
Russia, 2016
Comedy
Colour
A literary magazine editor cheats on his young lover with his own wife, a university maths professor. He still feels the need in their intellectually rich and open discussions. But the real challenge is deeper, than the usual crisis of the middle age and sexual dissatisfaction. The small family is broken apart along the same lines as the society in general: politics.
AKADO
Director and scriptwriter Kim Belov
Producer Max Volovik
Cast: Evgeny Tsyganov, Pavel Tabakov, Elena Nikolaeva
Russia 2017
Comedy/Horror
7 min
Colour
A cable guy comes to a customer's apartment and meets his fate.
Karavai, karavai
Director Alisa Tritenko
Scriptwriters Alisa Tritenko and Alejandro Stepenberg
Producer Anastasiya Raykova
Russia, UK 2017
Igor’s big Russian wedding with Alla was supposed to be the best day of his life, but actually it is the opposite: Is he feeling so sick because he realises that he made a mistake or because Alla in fact enchanted him into the marriage?
Duration: 17:57
Address: 203-206 Piccadilly, St. James's, London W1V 9LE
18:00
Regent Street Cinema
Thawed Carp 12+ (Running time: 1h 41min)
Year: 2017
Country: Russia
Director: Vladimir Kott
Screenplay: Dmitriy Lanchihin, Oksana Karas, Andrey Taratuhin
Producers: Nikita Vladimirov, Maria Averbah
Cast: Marina Neyolova, Alisa Freindlich, Evgeniy Mironov, Sergey Puskepalis
Genre: drama, melodrama
Subtitled
Elena Mikhailovna, having worked all her life in the only school of a provincial town, lives modestly in retirement. She is diagnosed with a fatal illness, that could end her life at any moment. Instead of an unbearable anticipation, she resolutely begins the preparation for her own funeral, in order to simplify the procedure for her only son, whom she hasn’t seen for over five years. Unexpectedly Elena Mikhailovna receives as a gift a huge carp, which changes her life.
Trailer: https://youtu.be/_O4EZz6vvu8
Address: 307 Regent Street, London W1B 2HW
18:30
Pushkin House
Teriberka (Running time: 41min)
Year: 2017
Director Yulia Varentsova
Teriberka - a small village on the shores of the Barents Sea has become famous thanks to the "Leviathan" film by Andrei Zvyagintsev, and it's immediately become a symbol of Russian backwoods and hopelessness. Boris Akimov, an entrepreneur, decided to take advantage of Teriberka’s fame and breathe life in this village: to farm local seafood delicacies and open cafes to stage a festival of contemporary art. But will the locals appreciate his efforts?
Bonfires and Stars (Running time: 57 min)
Year: 2016
Director: Sasha Voronov
The story of a Moscow based electronic musician Moa Pillar traveling to Nalchik, a small town located at Caucasus in the South of Russia, in order to meet Bulat Khalilov, a local music enthusiast who has started a field recording label that documents traditional Circassian music. Bulat connects Moa Pillar to the local music community. The collaboration experiment reveals a clash between century-old traditions and modern culture of millennials and makes both heroes doubt the possibility of a dialogue between two worlds they represent.
Address: 5A Bloomsbury Square, London WC1A 2TA
20:30
Regent Street Cinema
Guardians 12+ (Running time: 1h 40 min)
Year: 2017
Country: Russia
Director: Sarik Andreasyan
Screenplay: Andrey Gavrilov
Producers: Sarik Andreasyan, Gevond Andreasyan, Vladimir Polyakov
Cast: Anton Pampushny, Sanzhar Madiyev, Sebastien Sisak, Alina Lanina, Stanislav Shirin
Genre: sci-fi, action
Subtitled
During the Cold War, an organization called "Patriot" created a super-hero squad, which includes members from all the Soviet republics. For years, the heroes had to hide their identities, but in difficult times they must reveal themselves again.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwsViZ3DGqI
Address: 307 Regent Street, London W1B 2HW
20:30
Curzon Soho
Loveless 15+ (Running time: 2h 8min)
Year: 2017
Country: Russia
Director: Andrey Zvyagintsev
Screenplay: Oleg Negin, Andrey Zvyagintsev
Producers: Alexander Rodnyansky, Sergey Melkumov, Gleb Fetisov
Cast: Maryana Spivak, Alexey Rozin, Matvey Novikov, Marina Vasilieva, Andris Keiss
Genre: drama
Subtitled
The story concerns two separated parents living apart, whose affections are long forgotten and whose relationship has become loveless. The couple, going through a divorce, must team up to find their son who has disappeared during one of their bitter arguments.
Q&A with director Andrey Zvyagintsev TBC
Trailer: https://youtu.be/7SWgNRJpYlM
Address: 99 Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 5DY
22 November, Wednesday
18:00
Regent Street Cinema
Guppy 15+ (Running time: 1h 19min)
Year: 2017
Country: Russia
Director: Vlad Furman
Screenplay: Vlad Furman, Vassiliy Sigarev
Producer: Vlad Furman
Cast: Nelya Popova, Mikhail Razumovsky, Yevgeny Baranov
Genre: melodrama
Subtitled
"Gupeshka" - is a derivative of a guppy fish and the nickname of the main character of the film, Tamara, given to her by her husband. Guppy is a small aquarium fish that can survive in any conditions, even in the sewage system...
Q&A with director Vlad Furman and actress Nelya Popova
Trailer: https://youtu.be/QKqyOQad_6s
Address: 307 Regent Street, London W1B 2HW
18:30
Pushkin House
Karavaichuk. The Last Waltz
Year: 2017
Country: Russia
Director: Yulia Bobkova
This film is about Oleg Karavaichuk, eccentric musical genius and famous St. Petersburg composer, who takes his final stroll through Komarovo, a bay-side summer community just outside St. Petersburg where he spent his whole life and wrote most of his works. His final piece, “The Komarovo Waltz”, unveiled here for the very first time, was written as a tribute to the place. It also serves as Karavoichuk’s farewell to audience as well as his last address and reminder of things that are truly important – love for your fellow man and virgin nature.
Address: 5A Bloomsbury Square, London WC1A 2TA
20:30
Regent Street Cinema
Sella Turcica 15+ (Running time: 1h16min)
Year: 2017
Country: Russia
Director: Yusup Razykov
Screenplay:
Producers: Dariya Lavrova, Filip Brusnikin, Denis Luzanov
Cast: Valeriy Maslov, Veronika Kuznetsova, Vitaliy Daushev, Ilya Kovrizhnih Sergei Genkin
Genre: drama
Subtitled
The main character, Ilyich, can’t seem to figure out what is wrong with him. Ilyich is a former KGB and FSB agent. He had years of experience, but is now retired. Lonely and bored, he continues to spy on those who spark interest in him. A doctor diagnoses him with sella turcica, the Turkish Seat Syndrome, which poses no threat to those around him…
Trailer: https://youtu.be/rDjzV171aOY
Address: 307 Regent Street, London W1B 2HW
20:30
3BFI Southbank, NFT1
Spacewalker 12+ (Running time: 2h 20min)
Year: 2017
Country: Russia
Director: Dmitriy Kiselev
Screenplay: Sergey Kaluzhanov, Yuriy Korotkov, Irina Pivovarova, Oleg Pogodin
Producers: Timur Bekmambetov, Yevgeniy Mironov, Sergey Ageev
Cast: Konstantin Khabenskiy, Vladimir Ilyin, Yelena Panova, Evgeniy Mironov, Anatoliy Kotenev,
Genre: drama, history, adventure
Subtitled
In the midst of the Cold War, the Soviet Union and the United States race to be the first nation to send a human being into outer space. On the Russian side, the unlikely duo of a seasoned war veteran and a hot-headed test pilot find themselves cooped up in a tiny spaceship. Their mission, beyond travelling further than any human has ever been before, is to ensure that their nation leads the way in an increasingly fraught game.
Q&A with director Dmitriy Kiselev
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygSZlQQmCyc&index=4&list=PL2By_FFavTL4bDTBk2t4yuIXHRUVMAKWW
Address: Belvedere Road, South Bank, London SE1 8XT
23 November, Thursday
18:00
Regent Street Cinema
Closeness 18+ (Running time: 1h 58min)
Year: 2017
Country: Russia
Director: Kantemir Balagov
Screenplay: Kantemir Balagov, Anton Yarush
Producer: Nikolay Yankin
Cast: Darya Zhovner, Olga Dragunova, Atrem Cipin, Veniamin Kac, Nazir Zhukov, Egor Shevyakov
Genre: drama
Subtitled
1998, Nalchik, North Caucasus. A Jewish family is in trouble: the youngest son and his bride do not come home, and in the morning, a ransom note arrives from the local tribesmen. The ransom is so high that the family is forced to sell its small business and then seek help from their community.
Address: 307 Regent Street, London W1B 2HW
19:30
EBRD Screening
Kharms 15+ (Running time: 1h 35min)
Year: 2017
Country: Russia
Director: Ivan Bolotnikov
Screenplay: Ivan Bolotnikov, Sergei Soloviev
Producers: Andrey Sigle, Sasho Pavlovski, Leonid Chub
Cast: Wojciech Urbanski, Aiste Dirziute, Darius Gumauskas, Artem Semakin, Andrey Feskov
He considers himself a genius but the publishers refuse to print his works. He loves women but they don’t always understand him. Constantly without money and out of touch with reality. The elegant fop Daniil Yuvachov names himself Kharms - a name just as effective as his appearance. Loosely based on the biography of Daniil Kharms, the renowned Russian absurdist author of the beginning of the 20th century.
Q&A with director Ivan Bolotnikov, producer, actors Wojciech Urbanski, Aiste Dirziute
Trailer:
Address: 1 Exchange Square, London EC2A 2JN
20:30
Regent Street Cinema
Year: 2017
Country: Russia
Director: Lera Surkova
Screenplay: Lera Surkova
Producers: Vladimir and Alexander Kott
Cast: Elena Nesterova, Valentin Samohin, Vitaliya Enshina, Tatyana Vladimirova, Dmitriy Urosov
Genre: family drama
Subtitled
Set inside the confines of an apartment, a drama is played out between family members, mixed with a hidden blind faith in a miracle, following a visit of a devout grandmother. Amongst this family madness, a tragic love story of a teenage girl unfolds.
Address: 307 Regent Street, London W1B 2HW
20:30
Ciné Lumière
Year: 2016
Country: France
Director: ,
Screenplay: (screenplay), (book)
Producers: Maxim Ajjawi, Gaëlle Bayssière, Didier Creste, Wim Goossens
Cast: , , , Kseniya Kutepova
Genre: drama
Subtitled
Rigorously trained from an early age by a perfectionist instructor, Polina (played by Anastasia Shevtsova, a professional dancer who has performed with Saint Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theatre) is a promising classical ballet dancer. But then she discovers contemporary dance, a revelation that throws everything into question on a profound level.
Q&A with directors , and actress
Trailer:
Address: 17 Queensberry Place, Kensington, London SW7 2DT
21:00
Picturehouse Central
Year: 2017
Country: Russia
Director: Boris Khlebnikov
Screenplay: Natalya Meshchaninova, Boris Khlebnikov
Producers: Ruben Dishdishyan, Sergey Selyanov,Natalya Drozd
Cast: Aleksandr Yatsenko, Irina Gorbacheva, Anna Kotova, Nikolay Shrayber
Genre: drama
Subtitled
Oleg is a young gifted paramedic. His wife Katya works at the hospital emergency department. She loves Oleg, but is fed up with him caring more about patients than her; she wants a divorce. Oleg's new boss, a cold-hearted manager, got new strict rules to implement. Oleg couldn't care less - he's got lives to save. Caught between emergency calls, alcohol-fueled off-shifts, trouble at work and search for a meaning in life, Oleg and Katya have to find the binding force that keeps them together.
Q&A with director Boris Khlebnikov and actor Aleksandr Yatsenko
Trailer:
Address: Corner of Shaftesbury Avenue and Great Windmill Street, London W1D 7DH
18:00
Regent Street Cinema
Year: 2016
Country: Russia, Estonia
Director: Anton Bilzho
Screenplay: Anton Bilzho, Evgeny Kreov, Lyudmila Kruglova
Producers: Yuliya Mishkinenе, Andrey Bilzho, Ilya Medovy, Aleksandr Plotnikov, Esko Rips
Cast: Vladimir Mishukov, Severija Janusauskaite, Maxim Vitorgan, Andrey Bilzho
Genre: comedy, thriller
Subtitled
Roman is a proofreader, a real intellectual from St. Petersburg, who comes to a small Estonian spa town, to find tranquility and inspiration. He does the proofreading of the encyclopedia of the Baltic Sea Fishes, compiled in the same location by professor Polyanski, a Nobel prize winner. This work is very important for Roman. He would have accomplished his task, but once he swims too far in the sea and it is there and then he meets Helena, who is about to change his life and his perception of the world forever.
Q&A with director Anton Bilzho and actor Vladimir Mishukov
Trailer:
Pagans
Polina 
Arrhythmia
Dreamfish
