We are very happy and we have already collected more than we expected! 112 percents!
Yet, let’s surprise us and yourself and beat the record! We continue the shootings and film tests in the faraway country. And keep correcting the script and in March we are meeting with Boris Kazakov - a wonderful cartoon-artist! I hope he will be able to participate in the shootings.
Please, pay attention to the changes in the category “Rewards”. You still have the chance to get them.
Thanks once again!
Stay in touch with us. It is important to have like-minded folks around!
The filming of “Mayakovsky” in which I played the role of V. Meyerhold is completed. Director Alexander Sheyn had to cross himself when I appeared for the first time in my make-up…
Then, the second set of rehearsals for a new project “Who is Happy in Russia?” at the Gogol Centre in Moscow. I am the director and choreographer of the “Drunken Night” segment. Composer - Ilya Demutsky. There are 23 dancers on stage. I must admit, I have never seen so many talents on one stage simultaneously. Strong company. Thanks to Kirill Serebrennikov for his disciples.
Upcoming projects are the “Viking” by A. Kravchuk and “Bonus” by Valeria Gai Germanika.
In the meantime, my “Extended Day Group” improvises in private apartments, in the streets and so on. Exercising by DEREVO.
Recently, Museums night in St Petersburg at Mikhail Chemiakin’s Foundation, in July there’s a festival in Nizhny Novgorod, on 8th of July we’re closing the Open Look Festival in St Petersburg.
In Summer there’s a lot of filming too and in Autumn there’s a big marathon coming up at ERARTA.
It would be good to be in time for all of this.
Anton
Text: Anton Adasinsky English text editor: David Kemp Photos: Elena Yarovaya
at the talk & film evening at the Angleterre Cinema, 11 Oct
at the special event for the Mikhail Chemiakin Foundation, 13 Oct.
In the meantime you can watch the documentary (in Russian) “With a rainbow in the heart” by Galina Korshikova. Unique archive footage by Andrey Gladkikh has been used for this film.
Here you’ll find some pictures of our summer projects
White Fortress, finally I’ve got the main part since Pavel Semchenko of AKHE was busy elsewhere
Pioneers Parade at Radebeul, it’s all about having fun
Midnight Balance at Radebeul
Finale Grande at Radebeul, ten thousands wood pieces and five thousand spectators
Text: Anton Adasinsky Photo: Elena Yarovaya, Silvio Dittrich, Anton Adasinsky, Igor Fomin, A. Rummler
On April the 2nd, 2013 «Faust» has won in four main categories at the Nika - Russian film academy award. One of the awards went to Anton Adasinsky for his role as Mephistopheles-Moneylender.
…I wasn’t quite familiar with the russian cinema elite. Now I know a little bit more. And I don’t know how to deal with this knowledge. The best would be as usually with humour…
I was quite full of wonder after my brief visit to Moscow to the Lumiere Gallery.
I hadn’t expected that so many people were still able to walk slowly and speak gently, to look into your eyes and even to listen to you without meddling with their iphones right in front of your face. I’m speaking of the visitors to the exhibition and to my gig there.
The exhibition Time of the Bells is a VERY GOOD one. Thank you to Nastya and all other organisers behind the scenes.
Meanwhile the DEREVO studio in Dresden has been turned into a filming location. A motion picture in progress is:
The Middle of White (working title)
Idea: Pavel Semchenko (AKHE)
Director: Pavel Semchenko
Cast: Anton Adasinsky (DEREVO)
Cameraman: Andrey Gladkikh
Assistant: Natalia Krymskaya
Producer: Pavel Semchenko
Big thanks to Elena Yarovaya and Isolde Matkey for their support with the boring administrative tasks.
We will tell nothing yet about the music. That will be a surprise.
Anton
(english text editor: Daniel Williams)
Also the heavy metal performance by DEREVO is nearing:
29 – 31 March 2013 in Festspielhaus Hellerau, Dresden
Anton Adasinsky performs his song Cat on Accordion from the Album DOPPIO live at Lumiere Centre in Moscow, 9th of March 2013. On stage are Alexandra, Veronika, Anton & Nikolay
DEREVO, in its own way, continues to work on the film Doppio:
Anton thinks the screenplay is not ready.
The guitarist Igor Timofeev thinks that the videoclip “Zvezda” (The star) comprises all the ideas of the motion picture and thus the shooting is over…
Leonid Leikin thinks there’s a series to be filmed and in particular from the starting point of Episode 3. ..
Anyway, the work goes on.
In following we offer you the video “Zvezda”, one significant photo and the long text which explains its significance.
Please, don’t get me wrong. A new thing is a new thing. An old one is old.
A thing comes cold to the world. Then it meets its first human being, takes a part of their warmth, their soul. Then it happens again and again.
Coloured by people’s love, a thing starts glistening, the circle of its admirers expands.
Both a human and a thing may have quarrels, divorces, picnics, weddings and crimes. A thing can run away from home, have an affair. A thing can punish or even kill. Don’t get me wrong.
There are living things and there are dead things. Just like people. But dead man is usually buried while a dead thing persists in the world until it is physically decayed .
A living thing has always been a part of a man’s destiny. Whether it was a car or a salt cellar. In the beginning of 70’s people started to sing sad songs. Weariness and the Lack of Faith have been summoned by the sounds of those ballads:lack of Faith in many things, including one’s own work. Why must one produce a good thing? Who will see the difference?
China, cold-blooded and faceless, loaded us with so many dead things. Particularly mean is the fact that they were the copies of the real things, an in each and every one of them there was a little man with his hard moustache and sly eyes, laughing…
Musical instruments have endured the longest…
I’m constantly in search of old guitars, trying to keep or to extend their life. I know there will come a day when there will be not a single old guitar leftin the world. But until then…
Hofner Congress comes from the 50’s . Pretty low priced it gained not too much respect and could be taken everywhere: to a beach, to a picnic… So just very few of them survived.
The classified ad attracted me by its brevity and a kind of timidity: “An old guitar for sale”. Full stop. And just one photo with an old wrapping in front. It seemed to me that the owner didn’t want to approach any nearer to it. The price was plainly invented: 100 Euro. By its shape I guessed it would be a Hofner. I’ve got a confirmation on the phone later. He also said that the guitar was hanging on the wall for 40 years. We made an appointment.
At night in the hallway of his house somewhere in Bavaria I asked him if he knows that his guitars actually would cost much more.
“It’s possible”, he said, “but it doesn’t matter now”.
He didn’t put the hundred Euro into his pocket, just kept trying to get rid of the banknotes.
We had to co-operate to put the old wrapping on. The guitar didn’t want to fit in. I asked him if he plays at all. He answered rather loud, as if it was for someone else.
“No. My father wanted me to, so he gave it to me”, then he corrected himself, “well, he bought it for me”.
He really wanted me to leave. I wanted the same.
In the car I had to open the windows, so strong was the foul smell of the wrapping . No, this guitar was not hanging on the wall. It was closed up in a cellar when a small boy has not become a musician. But dreams are dying slowly, so neither father nor the son were capable of parting with this thing.
How it shined when I removed the mould and grime layer. It was actually NEW! Nobody has ever played on it ! Inside I noticed a piece of paper. I’ve pulled it out and sat for a long time not knowing what to do with it. On a crumpled piece of paper there was a child scribble: a boy behind bars (or strings) and an inscription “I mustn’t”.
Text: Anton Adasinsky
English text editor: Daniel Williams
In January 2012 the winner film of the 68th Venice Film Festival, Faust by Alexander Sokurov, comes to european cinemas.
Anton Adasinsky played one of the leading roles, the Moneylender (Mephistopheles). Renowned voice-over talent Santiago Ziesmer gave the character an inimitable features by dubbing the role as a native speaker in German.
On January 14th the public film screenings start in Germany, on January 19th in Austria. At the end of January 2012 the film is going to be released in Russia. St Petersburg Premiere takes place on January 26th in the Big Hall of St Petersburg Philharmonia. Moscow Premiere is set for January 28th at Barvikha Luxury Village Centre.
Meanwhile Faust has been presented as part of many different film festivals all around the globe, among them were:
Anton Adasinsky & Alexander Sokurov. Photo by Jiri Hanzl. (c) Proline-film.ru
Hard work was worth it. The Faust by Alexander Sokurov where Anton played one of the leading roles of the Moneylender or Mephistopheles has been awarded with the Golden Lion at the 68th Venice Film Festival. The jury was headed by U.S. director Darren Aronofsky.
Anton is now on the way back from Venice. The next DEREVO appearance is in the russian city of Perm at the Texture Festival where DEREVO performs MEPHISTO WALTZ, inspired by the work on the Faust. Anton also gives a three-day workshop.
Some quite exciting updates can be found in our tour-plan. Sokurov’s Faust premiere at the Venice Film Festival, an appearance of DEREVO in the russian city of Perm with both a performance and a workshop, Anton’s appearances along with AVIA band in St Petersburg, then MEPHISTO WALTZ in Moscow and in Sochi. The first options for 2012 are published too.
On 8th of September 2011, Anton Adasinsky and Elena Yarovaya will attend the premiere of the Alexander Sokurov’s Faust at the 68th Venice Film Festival. In the film by the Russian film master Anton plays the Usurer or Moneylender as an incarnation of Mephistopheles. Incredible team has been working on the film, including fellow actors Johannes Zeiler, playing Faust, Isolda Dychauk as Margaret and Hanna Schygulla as the Usurer’s wife. With the stunning cinematography by Bruno Delbonnel (”Amélie”, “A Very Long Engagement”, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”) this film is one of ten favourites from the very strong line-up in the run for the Golden Lion.
After this DEREVO travels to Perm, MEPHISTO WALTZ was invited to the “Texture” Festival and then Anton Adasinsky does a three days of workshop.
In St Petersburg Anton performs with the AVIA band then two more MEPHISTO WALTZ performances in Russia come up in Moscow and in Sochi where growing numbers of the world class cultural events should help the city to perfectly slip into its role of the host city for the winter Olympics in 2014.
According to the screenplay dogs should run into the funeral scene, rush to the grave, then to me and should fawn on me, sniff, bark…
But to tell the truth, they never got to my part.
7.15 a.m.
Imagine the following: A coffin is placed on two planks above a rather deep grave. The priest throws a handful of earth down… here the dogs enter. Sausages and something else tasty are smeared on the coffin.
Eight crazy hounds run in and throw themselves around the corner, barking and growling at some hole in the ground.
“Stop!”
Their trainer swearing teaches them to sniff the coffin. The dogs glance back at the hole.
“Take two!”
“Camera!”
Dogs run in and head straight to the hole.
Sokurov comes to a decision instantly.
“There’s someone in the hole. Quick, dig another grave. Here!”
Not a problem for twelve prop handlers. All at once, ready!
8.50 a.m.
The new grave is ready. The previous one is filled up. The light is moved and gravestones are brought to the new positions.
“Camera! Aсtion!”
Dogs come running in and halt bewildered - there’s no hole any more.
“Stop!”
Short conference follows. In the village below they borrow a cat in a bird’s cage for a lot of money. The dog trainer runs around teasing the dogs with the cage. The dogs are going nuts, the cat is yelling.
Sokurov’s idea is just genius. They put the cat into the coffin and nail the coffin shut.
“Camera! Action!”
Dogs come running in again looking for the cat or the hole.
The cat apparently lies unconscious after being nailed up in the coffin. No sound comes from her.
“STOP!!!!!”
11.30 a.m.
Sun comes up. Famous director of photography Bruno says “Fuck!!” rather loud. Everyone agrees.
Another conference.
Some meat is put in the grave. Dogs come running in and fawn upon Margareth. She’s screaming and crying and pleading for the poor cat. Big holes are drilled in the coffin to keep the cat from choking. Sokurov asks them not to drill the cat through. The technician: “She shouldn’t be that stupid, she will dodge the drill”. The cat’s owner speaks loudly to the coffin trying to calm her pet.
“Take five!! Camera…!! Action!! Stop!!”
The dogs have discovered the cage with a sheep in it and were too late for the shot. One more conference. The dog trainer gets into the grave holding a whistle. They let the cat out. The cat yells, her mistress holds her up in the air, dogs are jumping around.
Famous camera man Bruno: “Sun!!!”
The sun advances swiftly. Make-up people put powder on Margareth’s face. She’s happy for the cat.
Sokurov: “Margareth, look sternly. It’s your brother in the coffin!” Everyone laughs out hysterically.
“Camera!”
Dog trainer blows his whistle! Dogs come running in and fall down into the grave one by one.
“Cut!”
“Done!”
Silence.
Sokurov: “Wonderful. Perfect! Done! It just can’t be… Thank you.”
Text: Anton Adasinsky
English text editor: Jennifer Williams
It was a big risk just to make up our minds to begin that week…
Metaphysical Hoffmann-based epics by Mikhail Chemiakin, anti-world of the highest clownery by Slava Polunin, “talking body” of DEREVO by Anton Adasinsky — three apexes of a triangle, equidistant and suddenly united…
A sweaty, nervous but happy week spent in France has proved that the joint film project is possible.
Thousands of ideas, suggestions and directions. It’s too early to discover any secrets but at this high creative temperature something extraordinary must come out!
And that will be a real film, not videotape. Pavel Semchenko is behind the camera, with his inimitable cinematic language. The video chronicles will be documented by Andrey Gladkih.
Text: Anton Adasinsky
English text editor: Jennifer Williams
Photo: Elena Yarovaya, Pavel Semchenko, Andrey Gladkih, E. Ushakova
Photo Design: Elena Yarovaya
Am Dienstag, 14. November um 22:25 Uhr zeigt das 3sat, anlässlich des 100. Geburtstags von Kazuo Ohno, den Film von Peter Sempel “Just visiting this planet”. Mit Kazuo Ohno, Chie Ohno, Yoshito Ohno, Ko Murobushi & Urara, Tomiko Takai, Blixa Bargeld, Nina Hagen, Jonas Mekas und Tanja Chabarowa (DEREVO).
Der Film, der 1991 auf der Berlinale uraufgeführt wurde, wird jetzt zum ersten mal im Fernsehen ausgestrahlt.