"The audience expressed their assessment"

"Medusa" asked director Yuri Bykov why he decided to "go into the shadow" after criticism addressed to his series "Sleepers"

On the evening of October 13, the VKontakte community dedicated to the director Yuri Bykov (the author of the numerous awards of the films “Fool” and “Major”) published an appeal to the audience on behalf of his behalf. In it, Bykov asked for forgiveness that he forced himself to think about himself as a “landmark” - and that the best minds of the country “finally turned away from him.” So the director, apparently, responded to criticism of his series “Sleepers” , which is now on the first channel. Medusa phoned Bykov (he was on the set) and asked to explain what his appeal means.

- Is this really your appeal?

- Yes, mine. At one time, the Internet audience made the [reputation] of the film "Fool"; The Internet audience gave its assessment to work called "Sleepers" . It seems to me that I need to seriously think about who made me from me; Many considered me as a guide, including moral. This is wrong, because I am a living person who is imperfect in many respects. Do I have the right - both moral and human - to be who they represent me? To do this, you need to have quite serious strong -willed qualities and a very strict civil position. And I am a person infinitely floating, doubting - this is honestly annoying me.

I feel how I react to this [viewers' reviews to the series “Sleeping”], I understand that yes, there is some need to go into some kind of shadow ... I don’t know-to figure out what I really can be, and what should I do in principle. I am familiar with the reaction of most Internet audiences, and it seemed to me that they were considering me as a traitor to my previous paintings.

- Do you consider yourself a traitor to your previous paintings?

- ( After a long pause. ) I cannot say.

- For what time are you going to "go into the shadow"?

- Who knows! I have a painting "Plant" that must be finished. Of course, it will be made, there are a number of obligations. I mean that I would not want to just go into public space in the near future. I do not feel the right to discuss something, to say how I did this very many times before.

-After the "factory" will you shoot something?

- Well, I have there - they had, or rather - plans. I can’t now, honestly ... I try to answer your questions as adequately as possible, but I do not hide that I am not in the most adequate [condition].

- It seems you are in some rain.

- Well, I'm depressed.

- Not all viewers did not like the series. Do you feel their support? And from colleagues?

- Colleagues are trying to support - this is where there is a workshop solidarity. And the audience - for the most part - expressed their assessment.

Evgeny Berg