FAST FORWARD 2021 / Projection:
15/12/2021 / 18:00 / Montenegrin Cinematheque / Podgorica
Dmitry Bogolyubov / Russia, Czech Republic, Germany / 2019 / 83′
Director: Dmitry Bogolyubov
Screenplay: Anna Shishova-Bogolyubova, Dimitry Bogolyubov
Editor: Phil Jandaly
Sound: Jan Cenek
Production: Bontofilm, First Hand Films
Producers: Vít Klusák, Filip Remunda
SYNOPSIS
Most of the 10 000 inhabitants of Yelnya feel nostalgic about the former USSR and its army. They’re raising the town’s children to be military trained national patriots. Yelnya misses the days when things were different, when society was stable, even when that meant living under strict rules. Svetlana, an ex-military, lost her job when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, ruining all her plans and dreams. The army has increasingly become her ‘island of stability’ in the turbulent and changing environment of Russia since the collapse. In Svetlana’s opinion, life in Russia under Putin is getting better. Military service is the only social life available for her teenage daughter, Masha. Svetlana is proud of Masha being one of the most successful members of the local Youth Army, which is a branch of a growing national army for the young, a hybrid version of scouts and reserve officers training programme with an emphasis on patriotism and national service. The film will take us close to everyday life stories of three generations of inhabitants living in Yelnya, a town similar to hundreds of small provincial towns in Russia.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dmitry Bogolyubov was born in 1980 in Moscow. After a law degree he graduated from the Documentary department at the Russian State University of Cinematography. Dimitry has directed a list of TV documentaries. He received the national cinema and TV award Strana for his documentary Neglected. Together with his wife, the director Anna Shishova-Bogolyubova they made a documentary On the Edge where Dimitry was the cinematographer as well and won the Saint Anna Prize for best cinematography. His film The Wall tackling the legacy of Josef Stalin won the Best World Documentary Film Award at the Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival in 2017. Town of Glory was awarded the Jury’s Special Prize at One World International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival in 2020.
FESTIVALS AND AWARDS
Trieste Film Festival (Italy) – Best Documentary Audience Award
One World IFF (Czech Republic) – Jury’s Special Prize
Sarajevo Film Festival (Bosnia and Herzegovina)