KANTEMIR BALAGOV: A STATEMENT FROM THE DIRECTOR

Beanpole is my second feature film. It is very realize how little I knew about the war and important to me that my story takes place how little I knew about the role of women in in 1945. My heroes, like the city they live the war. And this led me to another thought: in, are mangled by a horrible war. They live what would happen to a woman after the war in a city that has endured one of the worst was over, when there was a tectonic shift sieges in the history of warfare. This is a in her mind and her nature, a violation of story about them and about people they meet her nature that would obviously take place in Leningrad, the obstacles that they have afterwards. to overcome and the way they are treated by Leningrad was especially important for society. They are psychologically crippled by me as it was the city that survived this the war and it will take time for them to learn terrible siege, and the consequences of the to live their normal lives. siege played an important part in the film. I am interested in the fates of women and It was vital for me to feel this space and especially women who fought in the Second background in the film, and you can feel World War. According to data, this was the it even now, in today's Leningrad (Saint war with the highest participation of women. Petersburg). As an author, I am interested in finding an We feel the consequences of war in the answer to the question: what happens to a space where the action takes place, and person who is supposed to give life after she in the colour palette of the film. But most passes through the trials of war? importantly it’s in the fates of our heroes. KANTEMIR BALAGOV: The film has a particular colour palette. It was important for me to show the When I started to study the diaries of consequences of war through people’s faces, BIOGRAPHY people who lived during that time, I learned eyes, physiques, bodies, not just through that despite all the hardships and the abandoned or destroyed buildings. Kantemir Balagov was born in Nalchik, Balagov graduated from ’s devastation, they were surrounded by bright Russia, in 1991. directing workshop at Kabardino-Balkarian On a surface level, Beanpole is a word that colours every day. This conflict between State University in 2015. During his describes the physical attributes and outlook Beanpole marks his second feature film, bright colours and the nature of post-war life studies, he made a number of fiction and of our main hero, Iya, as she’s a very tall Balagov having made his directorial debut is also very interesting to me. documentary films which took part in various woman. But for me Beanpole is more about with Closeness (2017), which premiered domestic and international events. The book “The Unwomanly Face of War” by clumsiness and this is how my heroes feel at the in Un Certain the Nobel Laureate Svetlana Alexievich was and express feelings in the film – they are Regard and was awarded the FIPRESCI prize. Beanpole (2019) has been selected for my main inspiration for this film. This book clumsy, they are learning how to live again the 72nd Annual Cannes Film Festival, opened a whole new world for me. I came to after the war and it is very difficult for them. in Un Certain Regard.