10 CULTURE The Times Thursday, October 11, 2012 Theatre lovers enjoying much Diversely interesting plays at International TEART Theatre Forum, hosted by Minsk for the first time

Belarusian audiences Cherbourg, by the Karambol have been gaining acquaint- St. Petersburg State Musical ance with the creativity of Th eatre, has been directed leading modern European by young Vasily Barkhatov. theatre director Romeo Critics are hailing him as Castellucci, from Italy. He is the hope of modern op- recognised throughout the era for his Stalemate Lasts world and has won several but a Moment. Th e Russian prestigious international Academic Youth Th eatre’s prizes. Contemporary Polish Light My Fire (Teatr.doc), by theatre is represented by Mindaugas Karbauskis, has Persona. Marilyn, directed become a cult classic among by Krystian Lupa and cho- young Russian theatregoers. reographed by the Poznan Th e fi nale is the Bela- Dance Th eatre, while the rusian national premiere of Latvian National Th eatre’s Boat of Despair, based on Dead Souls is directed by Ki- Korotkevich’s work of the rill Serebrennikov — a lead- same name, performed with ing light in the world of the- support from the Ministry atre. It was among the best of Culture of . performances in Lithuania Audiences will also be and Latvia in 2010. Lower able to attend master classes Depths, by Lithuanian di- with famous theatre direc- rector Oskaras Koršunovas, tors and take part in round is already familiar to Be- table discussions at the larusian theatregoers; his Visual and Performing Arts latest premiere is Miranda, Centre, which is organising based on Shakespeare’s TEART until October 20th, Tempest. Meanwhile, the supported by the Ministry Russian Th eatre of Estonia of Culture and Belgazprom- is premiering One Summer bank. Night in Sweden, dedicated Th e Centre aims to en-

to great director Andrei BELTA hance the image of Belarus Tarkovsky. International TEATR Theatre Forum opens with Umbrellas of Cherbourg worldwide, promoting cul- Th e youth programme world, representing vari- Petrov’s joint Belarusian- Raineri’s Baby’s Laxative are nominees and award win- tural and educational activi- promotes the work of young ous theatre schools and Polish performance of Ama- part of TEART’s Best Rus- ners of Th e Golden Mask. ties in the fi eld of cinema, directors from around the traditions: Belarusian Igor zonia and French Pauline sian Performances — being Meanwhile, Umbrellas of theatre and the visual arts. Films about Event of great Cat, rooster and other importance unforgotten Unique materials about Yakub Kolas to be published in Minsk heroes find intriguing film elements Th e issue is timed to coincide with the 130th anniversary of the Belarusian literary classic, includ- the merited Film director Nikolay Knyazev has no doubt that his new ing works never before published comedy, To Steal Belmondo, will prove a hit and those which have been pub- awards lished in the periodical press. Th e According to the Director Gen- volume presents previously un- By Valentin Petrov eral of Belteleradiocompany, Oleg known essays, diaries and auto- Silvanovich, the fi lm is now being biographical materials, alongside ONT TV Channel wins edited for cinema release. Th e aim of critiques by experts. Th e publish- International TEFI- selling the fi lm to the Russian mar- ing of the 20th volume of collected Commonwealth Television ket as a six-episode television mini- works of Yakub Kolas is a signifi - Festival ‘Best Documentary series remains on hold — as Russia cant event in the national-cultural Film’ for its Hero-Cities: is already saturated, lacking demand life of Belarus. Th e international Leningrad and an award for for foreign TV programmes. scientifi c-practical conference Th e Ruslan Salei. A Broken Kick However, the studio hasn’t lost Artistic Heritage of Yanka Kupala The Hero-Cities series, writ- hope and Mr. Knyazev is confi dent and Yakub Kolas in the System of ten and produced by Vyacheslav that To Steal Belmondo will soon be Civil-Cultural and Spiritual-Aes- Bondarenko and Boris Gersten, in demand. Despite the well-known thetic Priorities of the 21st Century now boasts 13 episodes, detailing name of the protagonist, the original was held in Minsk, gathering about the first days of defence by cities Monsieur Belmondo wasn’t invited to Comedy characters 60 speakers, including representa- later awarded the honorary title. participate in fi lming — for budget- with the cat, Belmondo — who is the take perfectly! tives of Poland and Ukraine. “We visited every hero-city, find- ary reasons (less than a million Dol- stolen by criminals. Th e director ad- Russian and Belarusian actors ing those who had lived through lars). However, some of the fi lm was mits, “I found Snezhok (Snowball) at Anna Bondareva, Andrey Dobrovol- the Great Patriotic War, and the shot in Paris, requiring urgent visas a cat show and immediately identi- sky, Sergey Zhuravel, Alexander Pan- Dostoevsky’s relatives of those who had died, and air tickets for the crew. Th e Bela- fi ed him with the part of Belmondo; kratov-Cherny and Oleg Nesterov are as well as chatting to historians,” rusian village which is the namesake he seemed noble, arrogant, energetic also cast. Oleg has the leading role of family home explains Mr. Bondarenko. of the European capital was ‘played’ and handsome. However, he turned Moscow writer Benedict Bakunin, Ruslan Salei. A Broken Kick, by Ostroshitsky Gorodok. Mr. Kn- out to be quite sluggish and apathet- who is suff ering from writer’s block. to be restored by Sergey Lisichkin and Boris yazev tells us, “Originally, we planned ic. Sometimes, it required dozens of Producer Gennady Davydko initially Gersten, was made for the Count- to shoot in the Vitebsk Region’s real takes to get the cat to move.” insisted that the role of Bakunin be At the end of last year, Belarus down project. They explain, “The village of Paris. However, on visiting, Meanwhile, a rooster that was played by Igor Ugolnikov, but the di- and Russia agreed the restoration of film is dedicated to the outstand- we realised it wasn’t suitable. So, Os- required to jump from a roof onto rector only saw Nesterov in the part. Dostoevsky’s estate, funded by the ing Lokomotiv hockey troshitsky Gorodok was chosen. We Tolya Kot’s head kept landing on his Th e fi lm has already been Union State. Experts are negotiating player and his team mates, who even had to build the Eiff el Tower.” shoulder or back, scratching him screened in Ostroshitsky Goro- levels of funding and, by late 2012, tragically died in a plane crash Th e fi lm was shot at Hollywood terribly, until he couldn’t bear it any dok and at the Dazhynki Festival in necessary documents should have in September 2011. The film fea- speed and with Bollywood colour: longer. Eventually, Tolya requested a Gorki. It will premiere at other Be- been signed. In 2021, the world will tures Ruslan’s colleagues and fam- in 50 days (almost unheard of in the fi nal take and then to work with what larusian cinemas from October and be celebrating the 200th anniversary ily members, with sports journal- world of cinema). Naturally, there they had. As if understanding these will, surely, meet an enthusiastic re- of the birth of Fyodor Mikhailovich ists sharing their comments.” were some problems, particularly words, the rooster then performed ception. Dostoyevsky.