Making a name in filmmaking
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Alexander Кovalenko
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Operator Oleg Girel (in the center) is also a debutant
he original, was created by the outstanding Belarusian director, Igor Dobrolyubov, who based it on the screenplay of the well-known play wr ig ht, A lexe y Dudarev. Today, motion picture aficionados consider it a national comedy. Whether spectators will like the new film as much as its predecessor will be seen when it appears on the big screen. So, the shootings are over. Now, when the film is being edited, Alexandra can make sure that everything has been done correctly. When the young director was telling me about the filming, she had a faraway look in her eyes, and, she was reliving those moments of pleasure and happiness which she felt whilst making the film, which, she said, can have its ups and downs. She was happy to talk about the story without any fear of the superstition that one can’t give information about a film before its release. She was even happy to show me several on-set photos, and allowed them to be used in
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the magazine if they were suitable. We hope that her film Belye Rosy-2, and Alexandra Butor, who is a debutant in the big filmmaking, as well as all those who worked on the film, the majority of whom are Belarusian actors, will be successful. For many of them it is their debut also. We hope that they all have a long and beautifully creative life. Alexandra, how did Belye Rosy-2 appear in your destiny? Explain the background. Did you consult your teacher, Alexander Yefremov, when you were thinking of tackling such responsible work or not? Were you afraid or not? After all, you had to deal with such famous names — Dudarev, Dobrolyubov and the huge love of the 1983 film. The background is absolutely unexpected. I was graduating from the Academy of Arts, getting the second higher education of the film director, as my first profession is TV director. Of course, I understood that I needed a project for my debut. Therefore I started preparing it with Yulia Girel, the co-
author of Belye Rosy-2, half a year before graduating. The project was called Sweet Farewell of Vera. We had finished it, and sent it on the competition which was announced by the Ministry of Culture. Suddenly, I received an offer from Oleg Silvanovich, the Director General of the Film Studio "Belarusfilm", to work on Belye Rosy-2. I was shocked! Initially, I said no, I did not want to, as it would be my first film! It’s a huge risk! I was confused. I admit that I was afraid that I could spoil my future in filmmaking if the film was no good. But I had some luck. There was time to think it over as I was going to Yalta for the festival with my graduation work. And there I was with Alexander Yefremov the Belarusian director of foreign drama and films. I did not tell him at once about the offer of Silvanovich. I wanted to, but was afraid of his reaction. But one time, I was sitting near the pool. The sun was shining, the sea was lapping and the atmosphere was pleasant and relaxing. I suddenly saw Yefremov nearby, and I dared to approach him and tell him about the project. It seemed that Yefremov was shocked at first. But he said, ‘If you feel with your heart that you should work on this scenario, to copy Dudarev’s story, then do it.’ For me it was such advice that I did not know what I felt in my heart, or how to hear what it was saying. Did you envisage the future film entirely at once, or did you have to wait in order to understand how it would turn out in the end? When I came back from Yalta, I understood what the film would be about. If destiny had not given me those ten days, I would have refuses the offer, after all, it is hard to deal with such names and such audience love. I returned to Minsk, went to the film studio and told Silvanovich that I would work on the film, because I know how to make it. Have you talked to Dudarev? Indeed. Together with Yulia Girel and Alexey Anufrievich we worked on the scenario. I can’t express the delight I felt meeting Dudarev. This person is a gift which was sent to me by destiny.