But our time demands the repetition of eternal truths with a new cinematic language. Otherwise they won’t listen.
Excuse me, an attentive viewer will say, so many films about Orthodoxy have been created in Russia over the past 30 years that you can rotate them around the clock on all channels for a whole year, without reruns. And all these movies with the claim of a new word in the old theme. But, as many critics rightly point out, the word “film” is not adequate for most modern documentaries about faith.
And on the Day of the Baptism of Rus’, there is nothing special to recommend to friends and subscribers. All good things are investigated.
Last year, a film was shown at the Moscow International Film Festival, which rightfully received thousands of recommendations, flew at dozens of film festivals, won 30 international and Russian awards, including the main prize of the Moscow International Film Festival. Moscow in the Best Documentary Film Nomination. For the first time in MIFF history, the Russians received the award.
And this is the very high-quality film about the Christian image of the world. Formally, it is about the life of the Solovetsky Monastery, but globally – about who we are, where we are from, where we are going. How can we survive in this century, which has every chance of being the last? One important note: this movie was shot in 6K, allowing the viewer’s eye to see what it would never have seen on the run, from the structure of the water to the veins in the autumn leaves. The film stops a person and plunges them headfirst into the White Sea. Baptize?
New technologies also allow the director to combine trendy time lapses with slow motion. It turns out an interesting experiment with time: it is completely reset, the viewer hangs somewhere outside of heaven and earth, where it is the right place to talk about the eternal.
The film is called “Sacred Archipelago”, directed by Sergei Debizhev. We have mentioned this image many times. And not just us. In the current cultural context, the film has become an event. Even a feeling.
Why did we take so long? It seems that we will meet the next Day of the Baptism of Rus’ in the cinema hall.
As it became known in “RG”, the film company “Two Captains” and Sergey Debizhev began shooting a new large-scale documentary. It will be called “Cross”.
The VTsIOM confirmed the relevance of the issue the day before: 57 percent of Russians declared themselves supporters of the Orthodox faith.
“A large number of people consider themselves Orthodox, they desperately need a serious and deep conversation on the subject of religious tradition. Faith, hope and love are the main triad of our people. Big serious movies help to tune in to these values, to understand what is the sacred tradition and what is the mission of man on earth…”, – says the director Sergei Debizhev.
According to the creators of the new project, the film begins in ancient Jerusalem, Bethlehem and the deserts of the Sinai Peninsula. Filming will also take place in the most important monasteries in Russia. Expeditions to Georgia, Cyprus, Ethiopia are being prepared. If everything goes according to plan, then we will see a widescreen and very voluminous (in every sense of the word) cinematic investigation.
The film is scheduled to be released in the summer of 2024.
Creators have the widest audience. An agreement on showings in Russian theaters has already been reached with the film distributor Kino.Art.Pro. There are plans for a wide international release. Negotiations are underway with the countries of Latin America, Africa and China. “Cross” and “Holy Archipelago” to be released this November in Indian and Dubai film markets
“With the film Krest, we plan to present Russian documentaries to a multi-million dollar global audience,” says film producer Mikhail Skigin. “
“RG” exclusively publishes photos from the filming of the film, as well as the first trailer.
By the way
In the new film, Sergei Debizhev continues to collaborate with Vyacheslav Butusov, the well-known rock musician brilliantly managed to write music for “The Sacred Archipelago”, film critics say.
