Tryapitsyn from Kositsyn

Andrey Konchalovsky became the best director of the 71st Venice Film Festival

The Silver Leo prize, Konchalovsky received for the film "White Nights of the Postman Alexei Tryapitsyn."

The New Times was looking for the protagonist of the tape - the postman of Alexei Zhanapitsyn from the village of Kositsyn. Performers of almost all roles are residents of Arkhangelsk villages who played themselves.

Frame from the film “White Nights of the Postman Alexei Tryapitsyn” /Photo: provided by the production center of A. Konchalovsky

District Saga Konchalovsky
“White Nights ...” Andrei Konchalovsky continues a series of works about the Russian village, which the director began the film “History of Asi Klyachina, who loved and did not marry” (1967), and then continued with the painting “Ryaba Kurochka” (1994).
The tape tells about the life of a lonely, lover who sees dreams about the cats of the postman of Zhanapitsyn and his fellow villagers. “This is my first picture, where I did not think about anything other than to shoot people's lives,” Konchalovsky admits. (quote is given by www.konchalovsky.ru)

“Why am I? They say the texture "

Irina Ermolova is the only professional actress employed in the film

They called and said: "This is from Konchalovsky studio, we want to come to you, we are looking for a postman for the film." At first I did not believe - I thought to play who decided me. Then they called again. And then three girls came here. We met, traveled here with them ... They took me to an amateur camera ... Then they say - we will make a movie with you ...

After all, they also traveled to me to other areas, met other people. They wanted to shoot in Vologda, but there the postman did not fit them. And I was the last ...

Then they talked to me: "As we came here, they immediately understood - this is what we need." The texture, they say ... ours asked me: "Why did they decide to shoot you?" I don’t know, well, came up - and came up.

"I do not bring bad news"

I have been working as a postman for seven or eight years. Previously, he worked at the state farm on the farm. And then everything went bankrupt, there were no farms for a long time. Well, I went to the postmen. I work twice a week - on a boat, on a sleigh I divorce pensions, taxes, transfers, newspapers in villages ... Sometimes I will talk with someone - people like me like me, about fifty and older. We’ll drink tea, well, good. I am always happy here. I do not bring bad news: urgent telegrams, as before, are now not sending-everything is on the phone, well, or on the Internet ...

You can’t live on a postman’s salary of a postman, so we are still working on, we are engaged in construction. Previously, they went a couple of times in the suburbs. Now we are working here - orders come: to whom to block the roof, to whom to put the house ... There is enough for life.

"I do not understand his films"

Konchalovsky is a good person. Literate. Interesting. He talks well, asks. We wrote the script with him, he was not in advance. Let's sit with Andrei Sergeych at dinner, he will ask - but how is this? Well, how is it? I will answer him. Let's talk - and he already knows that we will shoot.

He always told us: "As you do, you will do it." There were conflicts, but a little bit. Sometimes he will offer something-let's say so, but I-no, we don’t say that ... I never did what I did not want.

I don't know what happens. I didn’t see the whole film-pieces only when I went to a re-sound, I had to correct something incomprehensible there ... And I don’t know about what the film. Well, about Russia. About our life.

In general, I did not watch Konchalovsky’s films. Now he wanted to watch his films, he began to watch the “Chicken Ryaba”, and one third only withstood ... He has his own tongue, I don’t understand his films ...

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“Konchalovsky is a good person. Literate. Interesting. He talks well, asks. We wrote the script with him "

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I love other films. Such a type as "Eternal Call" or "Shadows disappear at noon." I don’t watch modern films and I don’t understand the series. I can’t decide on them: what is there to watch in this “slave to Izaure”? I generally watch a TV very rarely. Uninteresting, and once. At 9-10 o’clock in the evening I come home from work, I will bring something to myself (I live alone), then it's time to sleep. And I don't watch the news. That the war in Ukraine, I know, yes. But this is there, you ...

And I will not go to the festival. For what? I read, there will be twenty paintings there, so there are enough people without me. And here I just have a life of my life ... They say that a lot of new things about Russia will learn from this film abroad. What's new? We have people go along the Kenoser, they say in foreign languages. Well, they themselves see everything, of course.

"They will still call - I will act"

After filming, my life has not changed in any way. I also work - that's all. I bought a new harmonica, good, dear. He also quit smoking - then one guy gave all lectures about the dangers of smoking, well, I threw it. Well, yes, I got the Internet, I mastered it a little. Of course, at first they showed how and where to press, then I myself began to do something, I learned more and more, but nothing, it seems to be. I can send pictures, I can send ... on Facebook we correspond with a crew. I am in a very good relationship with them, three girls recently came to rest for me for three days. If they still call, I will act. Interesting. Although which of me is an actor ...

But on the set, of course, I learned a lot of things. And that the film is shot not in a row, but in pieces, and that you need to repeat the same thing several times, and what is important to shoot until the “sun has gone” ... A lot of things ...

And Konchalovsky explains everything very intelligently. It becomes clear what he wants. It happens that a person teaches something, but it is impossible to understand. And with him everything is immediately clear.

Did Konchalovsky learned something from me? Here I have a book, with his autograph. He gave me. I can’t find her right now, but Andrei Sergeyich wrote like this: “In memory of our everyday life. I learned a lot from you, it was interesting. ” I don’t know what he learned from me there ...

Photo: provided by the production center of A. Konchalovsky