| Mark Rudinshtein took up a new festival Mark Rudinstein first spoke about the idea of a new grandiose international festival in St. Petersburg back in the spring, at a press conference dedicated to the sale of Kinotavr. At the same time, Andrei Konchalovsky was mentioned as the future president of the film forum. Since Mark Rudinshtein is bursting with ideas and constantly throws out a wide variety of projects for public discussion, no one paid serious attention to this one. It turned out in vain. In the summer, the question of the festival began to take on real shape. The best PR move was made (wittingly or unwittingly) by the festival organizers when they announced their intention to place film screening pavilions on Palace Square. Here heavy artillery came into play, Mikhail Piatrovsky turned his guns towards Rudinshtein, Alexander Sokurov stood up to defend the Hermitage and wrote a desperate letter to Valentina Matvienko, a meeting was convened in Smolny, and everyone knew about the upcoming film festival.
What was the tireless Rudinstein up to? Well, firstly, the new festival should surpass in scale everything that is still happening in Russia. “I believe,” Mark Grigorievich announced in all seriousness, “that Russia finally needs a large, interesting festival. In addition to the competitive display, the decisive thing for it is the solution of cultural problems. And what will take place outside the main competition should not be similar not like any festival.” If you remember the past, then indeed, everything that happened at the Rudinshtein-owned Kinotavr, besides cinema, had little resemblance to anything. There were musical concerts, circus performances, a lot of noisy music and dubious jokes, but all of this. they endured, because the main thing was, after all, the only serious competition of domestic cinema. However, now Mark Rudinshtein, apparently, believes that organizing entertaining and bright shows is exactly what he does well. But just in case, this “cultural” one. , part of which he asked the famous St. Petersburg director Alexei German to head.
So, in the summer of 2006, from July 18 to July 31, according to the project of the festival organizers, a pedestrian zone with cafes, restaurants, street screens and six closed halls for viewing competition films for 12 thousand people should be created from Palace Square to the Astoria Hotel. . The screening pavilions are planned to be made of transparent plastic, and the walls will be darkened during screenings. Le Public Sisteme Cinema was invited to organize the Golden Angel festival. This French company holds festivals of American cinema in Deauville, police cinema in Cognac, adventure cinema in Manaus (Brazil), as well as the international film festival in Marrakech (Morocco).
It is expected to spend $2.5 million on the creation of the festival space, but the total estimate is $7.5 million, and not a penny will be spent from the city budget, and all will be private investment. By $5 million - an amount exceeding the costs of the Moscow International Festival - it was decided to invite guests and select films. Rudinshtein is not going to compete with the MIFF; his plans are much larger. “Let him live. Personally, I think of our festival as an alternative to Venice and Berlin,” he said in an interview with the Trud newspaper.
Of course, the main attraction for the guests should be St. Petersburg itself, and the bet is placed on it. That is why it is so important for the organizers to enlist the support of city authorities, who, it must be said, willingly recognize the merits of the project. It sincerely seems to them that creating a festival is quite possible, especially if it is not so much Rudinstein who is taking on it, but Andrei Konchalovsky, the left, Westernizing, progressive wing of the famous family. A director who filmed in Hollywood and, of course, has many acquaintances there. What a successful counterbalance for fat, bourgeois Moscow.
For Rudinshtein, all means are good. And St. Petersburg: “This is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, stars will willingly come here and bring films. By the way, the slogan of our festival will be: “St. Petersburg is the dream of Europe.” It’s not Konchalovsky and I, it’s our French partners and colleagues who came up with the idea...” And Konchalovsky: “He travels around the world a lot, works with international organizations, with the presidential administration, where our idea also found full support. Konchalovsky with his international weight is the real driving force of the festival, everyone agreed with this, even very ambitious St. Petersburg cultural figures.” And Alexey German Sr., who also gave his consent.
The authorities of St. Petersburg are very happy and believe: “Holding a festival of European level on Palace Square will be a major event in the life of St. Petersburg, an event of international scale. This will serve to attract tourists and increase the attractiveness of St. Petersburg as the cultural capital of Russia.”
If you still remember the past of Mark Rudinshtein, then you cannot help but notice that the principle “the main thing is to get into a fight, and then we’ll see” worked in his life quite often. He borrowed money, they took him at his word, he did not pay what was promised, he terminated agreements, delayed payments, but he did his job, and for many years it was through his personal efforts that Kinotavr existed - truly the first and best domestic festival. It’s impossible to say in advance what will come of the new project... Well, Cannes and Venice can sleep peacefully, that’s understandable... As for the European level, it depends on what you mean by it... But it would still be a pity if the energy and pressure this time they will miss the target. Because if “Kinotavr”, in addition to the desire to “throw up”, had, perhaps against the will of its creator, a good and clear task, then “Golden Angel” does not yet have it. The desire to increase the “tourist attractiveness” of the city by inviting many tourists cannot be considered as such.
Meanwhile, the deed was done, the “go-ahead” was received, even an agreement was reached with the Hermitage - although at the cost of refusing screenings on Palace Square (but in Sochi the authorities were more accommodating and allowed to block traffic on Teatralnaya and install a giant open-air cinema there). Now it’s just a matter of finding out what will be shown on such a magnificently stretched screen.
Photo caption:
It looks like the space in front of the Hermitage has been protected for now Alena Solntseva |
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