Alexander Petrov

[fross]

Remarkable animated films have won numerous awards, he draws his fingers on the glass. In the film The Old Man and the Sea, he received an Oscar. Exhibition of his paintings at the end of last year, organized in Petersburg Fund Shemyakin.

On YouTube you can even though in a poor resolution to see all his films --

Cartoon Cow "on the story by Andrei Platonov was the final work of Petrova at the Advanced Directing Courses in Moscow

"Dream of a Ridiculous Man." A characteristic feature of creativity Petrova is the technique of "painting revived. After finishing work on his second film "The Dream of a Ridiculous Man", made on the story by Dostoevsky, Peter returned to Yaroslavl, where he opened a studio "Panorama"

The ten-parable about love and vengeance, "Mermaid" was the winner of many festivals and nominated for an Oscar

From 1996 to 1999 he lived and worked in Montreal to film "The Old Man and the Sea", the first animated film to theaters large-format IMAX. He was four times nominated for an Oscar and in 2000 got it. To create "The Old Man and the Sea", Alexander Petrov took 30 months of hard work. To create the film he had done 26 thousand pictures

At 26 minutes the cartoon "My Love" had gone three and a half years. Petrov came to your "figure" and assembled a team of artists. Prior to that all the films he made one

[Jasmin]

Сообщение от fross

he paints with his fingers on the glass

How so?
And movies are very beautiful ...

[fross]

Сообщение от Jasmin

How is it?
And movies are very beautiful ...

Oil paints on glass, changing the previous picture. That is actually destroying the already created for the next. Here are found the photo as it happens.

[Glasha]

Its a wonderful film "The Cow" when something totally charmed.

Strangely, somehow it happened that about the "Dream of a Ridiculous Man" does not even hear (ibid. more Kaidanovskii voiced), and made fantastic, Dostoevsky as it is.

[Маруся]

Last year, too, in summer or late spring, represented by Alexander Petrov "House Nashokin. Came across by chance, but the impression remains unforgettable.
There is information in Wikipedia: http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Петров,...onstantinovich (Co ссылочками.)

[gans]

draw HOW breathing

We met with Alexander Petrov, when he actively worked on pereozvuchivaniem "The Old Man and the Sea" for release in cinemas in Russia. This film, shot in Canada in 1999, received the highest award of the American Academy. Except for pirated versions of unprofessional voice-over, distributed on the Internet, in Russia the Oscar-winning film almost never seen. And - done. Distributors and producers of the film is planned that the new film dubbing (dubbed in the Gorky Film Studio is Russian rather than American actors), he obedet of Russia's largest cities and will be held in the most remote movie theaters in our country.
We Petrova has every reason to expect a warm welcome Russia's general public. Perhaps, after the Oscar-winning The Old Man and the Sea "the whole country to get acquainted with other works of remarkable multiplier. These films - "Cow", "Dream of a Ridiculous Man," "Mermaid" - easily could be classified as Christian art. This is a picture of mercy and repentance, the Christian sacrificial love and excited ardent faith. As the last to date the work Petrova - "My Love", made on the story by Ivan Shmelev "The history of love". The film, shot in the traditional multiplier technique "revitalized art" (letter to oil paints on glass), has received several international awards and among other things, on the international festival of Orthodox film "Radonezh was named" Best Christian Movies of 2007 ".
Therefore, our conversation with Alexander Petrov has gone beyond talking about his work. Religious quest, search for faith - without which his art would have been different.

- In one interview you are told that there was a time when going to throw animation, and hold you back from taking that step one of the inhabitants of the Trinity-St. Is this true?

- It was an unusual meeting. Father Moses (at the time he had not yet received the schema), I knew the bad ...
In my life, then came a certain border. I can not say that I wanted to get away from the animation, it's not quite true, but I had an internal, almost insoluble problem with the film "Mermaid". I realized that was caught in the drama, did not understand how I bring the line to the end, how to add a story that it was true and accurate, and logic. Sometimes it happens in our profession - does not bind something, and as a result do not understand, does your complete failure or success. Moreover, the theme I picked up more than dangerous - relationship of our reality and the world of demons. We had to very carefully all of this lodge, so as not to introduce viewers to the temptation to inflict spiritual harm.
I was about to close the film, but at the last moment my wife and I still decided to go for help at the abbey. The fact is that to be of the believers to whom I have treated, all my intent was frightening. Me and said: that you are no mermaids, go and shoot a good movie. But one dear to me people in Yaroslavl, father of Nicholas, took us to the Lavra. On the way we are behind him, eventually got there yourself. Arrived - and no one know. Where to go? And then suddenly we met my old friend, the writer, who himself was then in a difficult situation, standing at a crossroads, searching for another, not the worldly life ... eventually became a priest. It was he who took me to his father Moses.
The priest, I spent almost two hours. Sat, talked, he confessed to me, still talking, now about my case. First, he chided me for what I have been working in the film industry, he remembered God-fighting movies 30-ies, and then, realizing what exactly I was doing, blessed and said: do, go do ...
He has strengthened me. After our meeting, I suddenly found the final film. It may have been prompted by a conversation with the father of Moses, and perhaps influenced by the communion of all with whom I was consulted - including, incidentally, there were many people and clergy. Whatever it was, I have formed a logical system of relations between the characters, the story reached the final - in the form it is in the final version of the film.
For me, it is clear that all ended well thanks to those who then prayed for me. I am sure that he would have with this situation did not deliver. Probably would have thrown the film, fell into depression and would hardly have been able to quickly deal with the other films. And the producers I would gently say, do not understand. In short, I miraculously stayed in the animation.

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- The film "My Love", received prizes and awards in twenty different festivals in Russia and abroad, including those named the most Christian film of 2007. Do you agree with this assessment? And if this movie had a Christian, then making - the original meaning of a literary first-hand, or your attempt to breathe Chmelewsky story Christian content?

- How do you say ... I call themselves Orthodox, try votserkovitsya, although I can not boast a deep and sincere religious feeling. Rather, in this regard, I am still a student. I must confess, over the last thirty years of my studies I was not very advanced. However, what is said in the Gospel, the Orthodox tradition and understanding of the Gospel - this is close to me, dear, I try to live it and this match.
But I do not make movies specifically Orthodox. I have no right to it, to make films, one way or another covering internal church life or related to the life of monasticism. Although I tried to make similar films: for example, the same "mermaid" - a story about a monk who atone for their sins, who is faced with his offense and was responsible for it through many, many years after the incident. Of course, this film is intended for a secular audience, he does not pretend to dogmatic correctness. Moreover, it is very free interpretation of history, even too free. Hence my doubts and hesitations, and a negative assessment of my idea by many believers.
Now answer about Shmelev. Some people think that he is all this from a warm, kindly, that he sings adjusted philistine life that these household items substitute for spiritual depth. From this assessment, I strongly disagree. Shmelev - a man who drank so much grief and sorrow because it was able to describe what can stoke many prose writers, who wrote about repression and the Gulag. Let me remind you that his story "The history of love", on which I made my film, written after the "sun of the dead" - a book about the savagery of people in the fratricidal war, after the death of his son, after the collapse of social ideals. After all this horror, he finds the strength to write a "history of love" and "Pilgrimage". Think what it needs to have a strength of spirit, what a wonderful faith in the beauty of the world, in truth and justice. I was most struck by it.
Take the same "Pilgrimage" - apparently it's a good, nice story, but when I read his other novels, read the correspondence with Ilin - I suddenly realized that for this external blessedness and happiness of middle-class is a terrible human tragedy and the faith that it is not leave. As for "Stories of love" - I think I do not know another writer who could both speak of happiness, of purity, of the desired love, as happened in Shmelev.
Making the film "My Love", I tried to be sincere and honest, wanted to keep the enthusiasm for the ideal of teenage love, tried to talk about the fine soul, deep immunity to dirt, to sin. However, I did not go far from the literary basis. And moreover, already removing the film, trying to find other topics, other approaches, I again and again realized that still I am
inside Shmeleva that can never get away from him. For me as an artist is now a serious problem.

You say: you changed Shmelev. And Dostoevsky? How he has influenced you? You removed the "Dream of a Ridiculous Man" ... Why it took this story?

- When I turn to Dostoevsky, then try to understand things that do not understand ... Dostoevsky their spiritual experience, his insight and desperate doubt much deeper I penetrated into the essence of these things, and I use it to try to sort out their doubts and questions. This, of course, does not mean that all such issues are resolved immediately. Moreover, I noticed that particular faith is not added, not added and knowledge, but ... something is changing. I find the arguments, let the sensual and the conceptual level, but the arguments that I somehow claim.
As for the choice of theme - so it is an intuitive way. I can not say that now go-go - and came to this story, Dostoevsky, decided to do it on film. To some extent this is true, but it's still a confusing, long trail with large loops and returns. And yet I came, came in third or fourth time to this story - thanks to their search.
You ask, what has changed in me Dostoevsky? You know, you asked a question that nobody asked me ... I think I have ceased to be presumptuous in me subsided youthful passion and aggression. Generally, it seems to me that the most zealous Orthodox - it converts people. They spend so much effort to defend its view that makes a lot of ill. And in this sense, Dostoevsky once I calmed and warmed, so that helped me overcome the zealous fervor. Well I'm very much at one time wanted to be a sort of right and devout Christian, to instruct and teach, but I realized that we must somehow different. We must be intolerant to himself, and not to others.

- There is a stereotype that animation - not a serious genre, children, simplifying and exaggerating the conversation, do not expect from him something special and the last thing you perceive it as high art. So why are you in animation?

- I have no clear answer: the life led. However, this path must have sufficiently long. It all started with a love for drawing. And then - a few sharp sharp turns of fate, changes in the plans, which I myself really can not define. At first I was a painter, wanted to become a designer of interiors, but at the last moment was disappointed in these dreams - and abruptly everything in life has changed, handed documents to VGIK. He studied there at the Art Department, studied skill of the artist-director of a large cinema.
A VGIK was the separation of animated films, and I'm about a year decided that it is closer to me. Not because they liked the animation, just a company it was good. And besides, there is work needed to apply more than anywhere else, inventions, to look at innovative approaches to plastic ideas. The process of "inventing" and painting attracted me to truly and deeply. I made two or three films, thinking that everything is temporary, that it would take a couple of years - and I will paint, book graphics. But movie lured me profoundly and forever, the same was found that if you are seriously immersed in the film, the time for something else just does not remain. That and I had to love this profession.

- So after all: you are not afraid of an existing stereotype of the "carelessness" animation?

- When I started doing movies, then tried to find himself in the entertainment genre. Then it is not particularly bothered me. I tried to do movies gags * lyrical, grotesque. I felt it, tasted it, it seems, everything - and all I was curious ... for the time being. But soon I felt drawn to things slow and not entertaining, with a large base of literature.
Feature story, an epic story I've always seemed more attractive than an anecdote or even a philosophical parable. While I perfectly understand that this art is not for everyone: not for every audience and not for every artist. However, interesting to me and my work colleagues, made in an entertaining format, but made by a talented and interesting for fantasy and the idea.

- Then the question of filling. In the past year we have a "Thomas" was printed a long interview of Anatoly Prokhorov on "Smeshariki. It has provoked heated debate, his position was expressed by Yuri Norstein and Eduard Nazarov. And how do you think? "Smeshariki" - this is good or bad?

- I can not answer unequivocally. But it is obvious that such a visual form needs a certain part of the population. I think the younger generation should have this as an alternative. Above "Smeshariki" work good writers and educated professionals. I am personally very annoying image and design, but even in this limited form of artists find interesting solutions.

- Alternative - Why? Realistic art?

- This is an alternative to serial American and Japanese art, commercial art. It's a very acute problem: the press of commercial animation weighs on the consciousness, especially in children. Children - quite open and simple-minded people, they trustingly, without question, take all that comes to them from the screen. And, of course, speculators take advantage of this. I think that in this sense "Smeshariki" to some extent displace aggressive commercial cinema. We can not deny that the basis of "Smesharikov" - light. Do not pretend to evaluate them from the position of the teacher, but I think that this movie does not harm the child's soul. While there are, of course, and more stringent viewers, categorically not accept "Smesharikov.
But I am worried that this movie is not cultivated in the children's interest in the beauty of the audience. Beauty there, frankly, not enough. She brought in these films to some utilitarian simplicity. But thank God, "Smeshariki" at least not terrible, and that the characters and stories themselves are not aggressive.

- What, in your opinion, the possibility of animation as a genre of art? There is a perception that animation - is an attempt to bring art to the cinema. In your case it happens by itself, or you do not put these problems?

- You know, I'm not an analyst and he sometimes does not know why it is doing such films, but not others. I'm not designer, not a theoretician. I only know that I draw, as I breathe. Of course, I wonder how and what I do. But to solve the fundamental problem, to pull some kind of "art critics blanket" for the business - I did not close.
I am rather looking for some natural shell, the form for me to translate exciting ideas. This shell was painting. Since I am an animator, I am interested to make the painting in some action and these actions express the appropriate emotions, his attitude to literature, life itself. In part, this way intuitive.

- Every actor wants to be heard, the artist - see their work in the Tretyakov Gallery. But the animation we often appears on the periphery of the audience's attention. About your film "The Old Man and the Sea" learned only through the "Oscar", but very few people could see it. Are you not afraid, with the ambitions of the artist, do not go to the Tretyakov Gallery? Or what you do, work for yourself?

- If I say that I work exclusively for myself, then slukavlyu. Of course, I'd like some demand, some recognition of his work - so that the viewer has seen my movies, so that the critic said, and wrote the paper. When this happens - something to hide! - Heats pride and helps to move on, conceive new things, old and gradually completed, at least, approved in its path.
And if you do not notice at all, it is a pity. But the fact is that people - being crafty. Failures, lack of attention to his art, he can be regarded as: a primitive crowd does not understand my great ideas ... From this self-deception, I am far, but I do not complain after all: unlike many, my movie still see. Pictures now and then appear on television, the press wrote about me.
But, although I can not speak for all the animators, still speak for their position. I do not think that the animation claim to some unique role in art. We must honestly admit that the animation - this kind of reservation within the art, there is always something happening, but it is interesting that, as a rule, only one who himself in the cooking.
In my opinion, animators and do not pretend to a special mission and reputation. However, American and Japanese animators heard everywhere. In any of the Japanese village of demand - it turns out that they know the name of Miyazaki. I do not know, specifically whether he sought or all of this by itself is. In any case, such a reputation - it was good.
But I am sure the spectators and fans of animation can not be in the millions. Hundreds, thousands, well, maybe tens of thousands, not millions. But I'm not sure I necessarily need millions. I need a hundred spectators. While there, a hundred thousand - that would be great.

- «Cherchez l` Oscar », - surely every now and then you have heard on the Canadian film studio, where he worked on The Old Man and the Sea" ... We go to the "Oscar", so squeeze the most ...

- No, such a crude pressure was not. But I am a professional and, despite all the internal doubts and hesitations, do their job professionally. However, the "Oscar" has changed my life for the better. My Yaroslavl studio came through this golden little man ...

- Your film critics and film critics called revived painting, high art. What are the origins of your art?

- It's easy. I grew up in a classic beautiful space, and among those values, which are known in the realistic art. However, socialist realism, I too was hooked. My teachers - realist artists who do things perceived now with a pinch of irony and cynicism. Nevertheless, they did so sincerely. They were looking at paintings harmony. And teach us the interest and love for classical culture. VGIK I had a fantastic teacher, which has had a huge impact on me - Boris Nemensky - a very deep, conscientious and uncompromising. In art - a staunch realist. I love him, and his influence, all of my roots there, in the classical realist painting. The art of the twentieth century, I do not take too, albeit in an avant-garde painting something close to me. But anyway, I convinced realist. Do not say that it is unconditional dignity. Sometimes I want to get rid of the burden of education, knowledge, skills. I want to be directly ... but I always feel like a tuxedo. It is also clear that compels you to wear one action, the exclusion of others. And indeed, realistic tuxedo sometimes prevent me from being more diverse and relaxed manner.
However, the desire to escape from the realism of the case I have not always. Suddenly, there is suddenly dies ... Sometimes I allow myself to relax in the scene, which is not related to the construction of the plot and characters.
But it passes quickly - and still remains in the space of the film, the design of which you hold, adjusts to a certain wave. For example, the "History" Shmelev, I immediately set for ourselves this: it must be spring storm fantasies, events, and so excited state of adolescent love. This was subject to all problems. You have to understand that this dynamic is passed directing the will, not technical trickery.
But really what happens - to judge the audience. My job - to make a film, and if people like it, I am comforted by this.

http://www.foma.ru/article/index.php?news=2061

[NATA NOVA]

The genius, a workaholic. Do not fail the earth talents! is possible only in Russia! (former USSR)

[Кирилл Сызранский]

Сообщение от gans

These films - "Cow", "Dream of a Ridiculous Man," "Mermaid" - easily could be classified as Christian art.

"The Cow" by Platonov wonderful movie.
Platonov, and I love this movie too.