Russian Film Week in NYC

Since its launch in 2000, the film week has introduced New York to the latest works of Russian filmmakers, actors, and producers. Russian Film Week NYC has become the landmark cultural entertainment event of the city, and is highly regarded by the Russian-speaking community as well as enthusiasts of foreign and indie cinema.

After a yearlong hiatus, the beloved festival returns to New York with the support of Kartina.TV, the leading IPTV provider of Russian-language programming. This year’s program will also feature Q&A sessions, panel discussions, and master classes led by the participating filmmakers and actors, as well as Hollywood directors, producers, and film critics.

Events will be held in different parts of the City, from South Brooklyn to Upper Manhattan, and will feature award-winning Russian films as well as those never before seen on the silver screen in the US. 

Programme:

October 9, Ziegfeld Theater, 7:00 pm

The geographer drank his globe away

Russia 2013 | 120 min | 16+. Director: Alexander Veledinsky

The biggest winner of the 2013 Kinotavr, the film took home the Grand Prize of the festival as well as awards for Best Male Performance, Best Original Score, and the Distributors' Prize. Directed by Alexander Veledinsky, "The Geographer Drank Away His Globe" is based on Alexey Ivanov's novel with the same name.

The main character, a charming loser Victor Sluzhkin (Konstantin Habensky) is an out-of-work biologist. To make ends meet and support his wife and child, he accepts the position of a geography teacher in a rural high school near the town of Perm. Now, his personal problems and a drinking habit are augmented by issues with the students - a gang of misbehaved teenagers. The 9th-graders refuse to accept him, but something happens during an anticipated annual river rafting, and attitudes start to change...

To buy tickets visit the web-site

October 10, Theatre Millenium, Brooklyn, 7:00 pm

Gorko!

Russia 2012 | 100 min | 12+. Director: Jora Kryzhovnikov

Roman and Natalie is a young and progressive couple who dream about European wedding on the shore of the sea, but Natalie’s step father has a different plan for the wedding. Arrogant city official thinks that he can use this occasion to jump start his own career and he will do everything according to his plan.

The young couple will spend unforgettable night in the restaurant called Golden where boring traditional wedding events are going to be observed. They have no choice but to have their dream wedding secretly without conservative parents. Unfortunately, two different weddings become one because of the silly mistake.

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October 11, SVA Theatre, 7:00 pm

Dolgaya schastlivaya zhizn / A Long and Happy Life

Russia 2013 | 77 min | 16+. Director: Boris Khlebnikov

Sasha, a young entrepreneur, is faced with a dilemma: sell off his land for a lucrative amount, leave the headaches behind, and enjoy the glamorous city life with his girlfriend or confront the new authorities in support of the people living and working on his land.

Having accepted the offer, he starts to second guess his decision, deciding to stand up for his former employees. The struggle between one man and the behemoth of a bureaucratic system ends sadly for both sides of the confrontation.

To buy tickets visit the web-site

October 11, SVA Theatre, 7:30 pm

 Ya Tozhe Khochu / Me Too

Russia, 2012, 83 min, 16+. Director: Aleksey Balabanov

The final, 14th, film of the late director Aleksey Balabanov. A farewell, a confession, and a real life fairytale about hoping for a happy ending.

A black 4X4 is flying down an empty summer road. Its six passengers are in search of the Bell Tower of Happiness, rumored to be somewhere between St. Petersburg and the town of Uglich, next to a non-functioning nuclear power plant. The tower takes people to the land of happiness, but you have to be selected. Each passenger believes that he is the chosen one.

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October 12, SVA Theatre, 3:00 pm

 Nebesnye zheny lugovykh mari / Celestial Wives of Meadow Mari

Russia, 2012 | 106 min | 18+. Director: Alexsei Fedorchenko

From Aleksey Fedorchenko, the director of Silent Souls and The First on the Moon comes Celestial Wives of Meadow Mari, a wholly original, humorous, colorful, and beautiful folk tale surrounding twenty-two Mari women whose names all begin with the letter O. This is a film-pattern, a film-calendar. 23 short stories about women of Mari. A kind of Mari Decameron. Aleksey Fedorchenko: Finno-Ugric peoples - natives of central Russia. There are now the most churches and monasteries.

Meadow Mari - one of the largest Finno-Ugric peoples, and the only ones who keep the communal prayer in the groves, naive honoring priests-karts. Their sacred mountain blew, groves were cut down - but very quickly the authorities realized that it is dangerous to life... Celestial brides and wives of the Meadow Mari are indistinguishable from earthly wives.

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October 12, SVA Theatre, 6:30 pm

Metro

Russia, 2013 | 132 min | 16+. Director: Anton Megerdichev

Moscow is booming with new construction and buildings are going up one after another in the heart of the city. The weight of the new development causes a crack in the underground metro tunnel. In a matter of minutes, the waters of the Moscow-river get inside and flood it, putting hundreds of metro train passengers in danger of being engulfed by the river. The powerful waters pose a serious threat to the entire underground tunnel infrastructure, and may cause the city to collapse.

A local doctor, Adrey Garin, and his daughter, Ksyusha, are among the passengers in danger. As they attempt to stay alive, life throws another curveball at Garin -- he recognizes one of the passengers as a man who had an affair with his wife. Now, Garin is fighting for his survival physically as well as emotionally – he is determined to keep his family and happiness safe.

To buy tickets visit the web-site

October 12, SVA Theatre, 7:30 pm

Intimnie mesta / Intimate Parts

Russia, 2013 | 80 min | 18+. Director: Alexey Chupov, Natasha Merkulova

"Intimate Parts" is an ironic melodrama about middle-class Muscovites. Each of them has a personal secret, hidden from others - the "intimate part". The main character, a scandalous photographer Ivan, juxtaposes himself to others. He is convinced that people are born to be happy; and happiness is freedom to stay true to one's self. The real question is: how safe is it to let your inner self out?

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October 13, SVA Theatre, 7:00 pm

Legend No. 17

Russia 2013 | 134 min | 6+. Director: Nikolay Lebedev

The Summit Series of September 1972 in Montreal. At the height of the Cold War, the Soviet national hockey team won the opening game against the NHL’s Team Canada 7 – 3, surprising the hockey community and the Western world at large. For the Soviet team, virtually unknown in North America, the match wasn’t just about sportsmanship; it was a chance to unveil the strength of their country to the millions of viewers. 

The game introduced the world to a new hockey star, player #17 Valeri Kharlamov, who scored two goals, catapulting himself to athletic stardom. To the world, he will be known as simply “#17.” His dream – rooted in perseverance, talent, and lifelong lessons of Coach Anatoly Tarasov made #17 a legend of the world hockey.

To buy tickets visit the web-site

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