Shock-seeking art movie to represent Russia at Berlinale
Published: 06 February, 2012, 19:30
The Voina art group film “Tomorrow” is set to represent Russia at the Berlinale Film Festival
TAGS: Art, Movies, Russia, Thrills&Spills, Europe, Performance
The Voina art group has been called many things. But be they artists, vandals or revolutionaries - they’ve made it onto the silver screen. A documentary about the notorious artists is set to represent Russia at the Berlinale Film Festival.
Director Andrey Gryazev decided to make a film about the political performers after he witnessed one of their trademark pranks.
“I saw a man running in front of the FSB [Federal Security Service] building in Moscow with a bucket on his head and thought, that’s interesting,” Gryazev told Interfax. “I did not completely understand who these people really are. The main thing about them is that they’re always against everything, this is their fundamental principal,” the director says.
Voina scored renown after painting a giant phallus on a drawbridge in St. Petersburg, and tipping over an empty police car.
Known for the illegal nature of their performances, the group has even been handed prison sentences and international arrest warrants. The shock-loving artists agreed to take part in the film project somewhat grudgingly: they wanted something in return for their cooperation.
The director offered his services to produce videos for the group, a lot of which have already scooped thousands of views on YouTube. Many of the clips can be seen in the film, which ended up offering the group a new platform for communication.
“Tomorrow” is not just Gryazev’s brainchild. The director also became the project’s only investor. The low-budget movie cost just $2,000.
It features both documentary and staged material, but “it’s impossible to tell the difference,” the director says.
The film will be screened within the Berlinale’s Forum program along with 53 other movies.
06.02, 16:32
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