The director's path. Almost a manifesto

In general, I don’t often write about the most important and painful things, but sometimes it comes flooding in, it hits my head, and if I have a piece of paper at hand (read: a social network), I can throw it out. And not just leave it as a stone under your heart.

The most painful thing for me is the profession of a director. Otherwise everything is fine. But the problem is with the profession, because despite the fact that everyone dreams of becoming a director today, it is very difficult to succeed in this professional niche.

So, about the most important and painful things. It is extremely difficult for a director, especially a young one, to find work today. But the fact is that I personally don’t want to make low-grade TV series, sitcoms, any consumer goods in the form of TV movies (except for certain cases when the script really claims to have artistic value) and any other “product” of varying consistency for TV. I don't see the point in this. I have a craft, I have a right hand with a pen - like a journalist or a PR specialist - I can even earn my own sausage.

For me, the point of directing is to film something real and worthwhile. Movie. And there’s not a bit of that “I want to film what I want, and why don’t those who film what the audience want give me money?” No, let's just not forget that cinema is first and foremost an art, not show business. But here we mix everything together, and call movies such films as “Eggs of Destiny” or even “Avatar”, and this is fundamentally wrong. This is the same as confusing a volume of Bunin and the magazine Cosmopolitan. However, this is a separate big topic.

The same reluctance of mine to work applies to, for example, viral videos, filming weddings (oh, trash!), even advertising and other video nonsense - low-grade comedies, terrifying melodramas, bad action films.

What should a young director do in this case - in the case when he wants to pursue a profession? When does he want to direct films and not produce low-quality consumer goods? Yes, even in order not to die of hunger, he doesn’t want to. Well, that is, categorically. Flatly. And there is no need to try to “preserve yourself in the profession,” since nothing but to lose yourself (there is such a censored word in the Russian language) in the profession by engaging in grassroots genres is impossible.

I note that the director, who sees auteur cinema as the only possible creative and life path for himself, has little hope for so-called “financing.” Especially if the director is young and new.

In Russia, only a few people are given money for auteur films. They’ll give it to Khomeriki (he made it to Cannes, twice), they’ll give it to Germanika (and they don’t even give that to her), they’ll give it to Khlebnikov (and he takes it on his own), they might give it to Serebrennikov, they might give it to someone else—one or two and it’s a mistake. In general, only a few, in the mode of a random jackpot of directorial fate. Hoping and waiting for this is stupid and impractical. And most importantly, it’s dangerous.

Let's move on. Producers. Is it really possible to bow to producers, run after them, expect handouts from them, looking into their eyes, involuntarily bending your knees and flinching from every call from a failed TV producer? Is it really possible to spend energy and life on this? No! And again, I’ll make a reservation: there are really competent, professional producers in the world, but what can they do in the current conditions? A little. Shoot several original films that will not earn money. But a producer is a producer to earn money. I want to say something else... You have to rely on the producer, but don’t make a mistake yourself...

The directors of the “new wave” took and made films - for their own money, without money, practically for free, and it was the “new wave” that became the strongest explosion of world cinema. They filmed so much that they staged a revolution - and this is the only case in the world when cinema changed the political and social reality, and they... filmed with their own! Why is this considered wrong and shameful today? Not clear. You say: technology has come too far, and a good movie can’t be made without a budget? This is not true, and just the opposite with technology. By the way, I proved this by my own example, but this, again, is a different topic.

What should young, but daring directors do with their own demands? If on the one hand there is the death of the author, on the other there is complete hopelessness, is there help? What to do? Despite the fact that yes, cinema is such an art that you can’t make it without money. There is no such thing as a no-budget film, it is conditional.

But what to do? When you have nowhere to get money (attempts to raise money through coudfarthing on the Internet fail one after another, even Loban failed), and you don’t want to stoop to music videos? So what?

And now - the most important thing. Until today, from time to time I mocked myself (like many of my friends): “What a fool! He spends all his earned money on movies. If he makes money, he makes movies. People buy cars, take out mortgages on apartments, and finally give birth to children.” (like most of my classmates and classmates - some of them became very rich)." I laughed at myself, others laughed too, an employee of a large bank I knew even twisted her finger to her temple. Well, why not laugh? If a person had $10,000, he spent it on a movie - and now he sits and has nothing to live on, isn’t he an idiot?

And let’s be honest, this is a movie made with one’s own meager lunch and dinner—it won’t really go anywhere. Nowhere. Neither for rental, nor for the Red Army. Not on TV. Yes, and on the Internet, 100 people-friends will look - and that’s all over. That is, it will remain so... Your dead weight. On your screw. In your desk. Festivals? I count on them and send them out, with the help of friends. But it is also strange to rely on them... There are a huge number of them - this is one, and two - this is also their own conjuncture and flow. Therefore, for festivals, in general, you need to specially shoot what they need.

So what's next? And then I understood. The only option, way out, way, path, the only possible, correct and necessary course of action for a director, with all of the above, is to continue making films himself and on his own.

Here's the thing... Everyone: geniuses, greats and even mediocrities - all artists, writers, poets of the past and present, almost without exception, wrote and created on their own and... on their own.

And Gauguin, and Van Gogh, and Mozart, and Pushkin, and Lermontov, and Dostoevsky, and Tolstoy, and Shakespeare, and Kafka. Yes, then they sold it. But then, that is, according to the principle of current Internet screenings - “Watch the movie, if you like it, donate money.” But that came later, they created and wrote according to the same principle that I now make films - to shoot with my own devices and myself. And then... And then look for an audience. And he will judge you. And then, maybe, fate. This was the case with Kafka, who during his lifetime published books in editions of 500 copies and a month later in the bookstore he wondered who bought the second book, if out of the two sold, he himself bought one? And then this man had the most powerful influence on world culture of the 20th century.

And don't think. And don't wait. Don't hope. And get busy. Yours. As long as I have the strength, I can earn money. And do not compromise with your profession. No. With producers - it is possible and necessary. You can't take it with you. That is, in general, you can go to them, and I’m not a young man, I go often. But in some ways it’s impossible, and what’s the point? Today compromise - tomorrow emptiness. Or, if it’s a compromise, then why be a director at all? In short, don’t worry. And shoot. While there is something to shoot. And what can I say. That's the main thing. Once, when I was studying in a dramaturgy course, I complained to my (however, very stern) dramaturgy teacher that I was thinking about plots around the clock, and the number of drafts was already in the hundreds, to which he replied to me: “Write, Senya, write everything down.” , because the time will come when there will be very few thoughts and ideas, this time is coming, that’s when your treasured daddy will be useful to you...” And he's absolutely right.

But it’s an elementary analogy, right? With the artists and writers who created the culture of planet Earth, drowning in poverty, debt, losing yet unwritten novels in casinos? Not bad, huh? And we sit in the warm chairs of our advertising agencies, drive a Camry and complain that no one gives us money for imperishable goods.

Aren't you ashamed?

Well, yes, the writer wrote on a piece of paper, but here is cinema, it requires money, since cinema is always a production. But are we, the directors, to blame for this? So what now, don’t take it off? What stupidity.

Take off. By any means. Through thick and thin.

Yes, even if I am very categorical in choosing this path. But what can you do? This is the only way I see the point in moving. Well, live.

And after. When this text first appeared on social networks, I received the following comment: “In principle, an entire movement could arise from your call.” Well, so what? I also think it's a great idea. Let's.