Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Mosfilm Film Concern – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Mosfilm.ru: Alexander, you're not only the director but also the screenwriter. Could you summarize the film's main theme?
Alexander Zachinyaev: The film is about difficult human choices. The film is about human heroism. Specifically, for me, the hero of this film… I realized this later, after I wrote the script and looked at it from the outside. I realized that this is, essentially, a sublimation of what's missing or insufficient in me. That is, these heroes are better than me. I would like to be like them.
So, in fact, I want the audience, especially the younger generation, teenagers and children who, God willing, will see this film, to resonate with this too. I want them to want to be like the heroes of my story and become a little better than they are. In various difficult situations, and even not necessarily difficult ones. It's the same as I did as a child: I listened to Vysotsky's songs and admired the heroism, the difficult circumstances that the lyrical hero overcomes. Well, that's how it is, I guess.
When you were writing this story, did you realize it would be extremely difficult to film? Were your expectations confirmed?
"Yes, of course, they were, and they were confirmed. But, you know, I formulate it this way for myself: the art of playwriting, of screenwriting, is the art of the desired. And creating a picture, filming a movie, is the art of the possible. Because on paper, when you're alone with a sheet of paper or a monitor, you're bursting with ideas, you're coming up with something. Paper can handle anything. But reproducing that in real life is quite difficult. As soon as you step onto the set, everything starts to go against you. Life begins: with the human factor, with the natural, with the technical, with whatever. You're navigating a minefield, trying to find your way through it and dragging this boat forward. So yes, my expectations were confirmed. And how!
– What's the film crew's schedule like? How is the work structured?
"The schedule is more or less standard: 6/1 or 5/2. The only thing we decided for ourselves, and it seemed the only right decision, was to split the filming between "before the emergency" and "after the emergency." That is, before one of the plot-forming events, and after. For example, the artists had to "re-decorate" one of the objects. It's very difficult; there are many nuances. We're working hard!"
Alexander Zachinyaev on the set: with cameraman Alik Tagirov, with actors Ivan Shakhnazarov and Alexander Gorbatov, Vitaly Kishchenko and others.
– Does the cold make any adjustments?
"Yes and no. It's not just the cold. We have a lot of complex pyrotechnics: we're creating a blizzard (artificial snow, wind blowers, smoke), and we still have a stunt with the airplane to come. But the weather certainly plays a role, too. Plus all those technical aspects. Just look at the Kharkivchanka (a Soviet all-terrain vehicle, specially recreated for filming – ed.)! It was built at a factory, but it's a huge machine, roughly speaking, a tank with a big cabin. And all of this has to drive properly, stop, turn around, not stall, and start in extreme cold. We've encountered several situations where, at temperatures below -30°C, it wouldn't start the first time, and we wasted time because we had to warm it up."
As for the weather, yes, it's already made adjustments more than once. We have an episode split across three filming days. On the first day, we shot for half a day without snow, but in the afternoon, it snowed so badly that we had to stop. Moreover, in the first half, we shot less than we needed. Now we have to reshoot everything to bring the weather in the shots to a consistent look. The real challenge right now, however, is the thaw. Before, there were frosts, now there's a thaw—it hasn't gotten any better, let's say.
– But are you keeping to the filming schedule?
– Generally speaking, yes. But, as I already said, due to snow and technical difficulties with the Kharkivchanka, we didn't get one trick right away. Today, we'll have to finish it off in two days due to various technical and weather issues. I hope that's all.
What challenges do you have to overcome in bringing your vision to life? Was there anything you envisioned completely differently, and did it change your perspective on the stage?
I think this always happens, on any project. You know the difference between directors and cameramen? Directors see everything abstractly, while cameramen see everything very concretely. It's the same story here. Of course, distances, the dimensions of the station buildings, some technical nuances… Sometimes things turn out differently than expected, while sometimes they turn out very similar. It's a normal workflow. Some adjustments have to be made, but we try to stick as closely to the script as possible.
On the set of the film "Survive the Ice"
How is it working with the actors? Do you talk through each actor's role, or is it an ensemble effort?
"I always try to write a director's note, where I describe each scene in great detail: what's happening, the mood, the costumes, the makeup, the color, any potential mistakes. In terms of working with the actors, everything is, thank God, fine, although, as always, there are nuances. Things don't always work out for me or the actors—it's a mutual effort."
We're currently filming what we call the "action block," as we call it in the group. There are practically no major dramatic scenes with a lot of dialogue. We're mostly running, jumping, blowing things up, digging, driving somewhere, falling through. Right now, the workload is more technical. But when we get to the soundstage, the meat of the scenes, as we call them, will begin: long dramatic sequences. That will be a completely different story. The challenge now is to build up the scene and achieve truth in the frame, in terms of physics. Overall, fortunately, things are going well.
– Tell us about "Kharkivchanka." How do the actors handle it, or are specially trained people involved?
I've already talked a little about the Kharkivchanka. The person who created it is constantly present on set. He modeled it entirely based on sketches and drawings found for the prototype of the real vehicle. He's with us throughout the entire shoot: he maintains it, starts it, and warms it up when needed. He also "drives" it in the frame when it needs to be moving smoothly, but he's not visible. He also trained three actors to operate our all-terrain vehicle, because they themselves will be driving it in the shot.
The creator himself says the result is a very good all-terrain vehicle. That it could truly be sent to Antarctica, and it would travel forty thousand kilometers without repair. It's a fully operational machine, not a decoration: insulated, with a good engine, with widened tracks. A very serious thing.
– A separate question about film equipment. Does everything work in such cold weather?
"There were some issues with the film lenses. When we go from the cold into the warmth, like at Kharkivchanka, for example, the eternal battle with fogging up the lenses begins. But, by and large, there haven't been any major issues with low temperatures for the equipment. I hope there won't be any. As for the artificial snow blown by the wind machines, the mechanics use special cases for that, wrapping them around the cameras for protection. So far, knock on wood, everything's fine! We haven't had any extremely low temperatures, below -40°C, so everything's within normal limits."
The project is being developed by Gopkins Film Production for Mosfilm. Renowned film director and CEO of Mosfilm, Karen Shakhnazarov, serves as the film's general producer. Alexander Zachinyaev directed and wrote the script. The production team includes Andrey Gushchin, Denis Lopatkin, Alexander Perevezentsev, Andrey Starovoytov, Gennady Gorbachev, and Anatoly Shelyakin. Alik Tagirov served as director of photography, and Yulia Makushina as production designer. The cast includes both established filmmakers and prominent representatives of the new generation: Alexander Gorbatov, Vitaly Kishchenko, Alexey Vertkov, Kirill Grebenshchikov, Ivan Shakhnazarov, Oleg Vasilkov, Daria Ursulyak, and others.
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