The director Anatoly Koliev, the script writer Alan Koliev, the cameraman Rysbek Bokeev, the producer Aslan Sokurov and the actors Maksim Karayev and Zita Latsoeva presented the film The Black Notes participating in the Russian Premiere Competition of 46th Moscow International Film Festival.
The film is set in the year 1942 when two brothers are waiting for their father to return from the frontline. They see what the black notes, as death notices were called at the time, do to people and ask the postman to hide them from people until the end of the war.
Anatoly Koliev: "We in the Republic of Ossetia relate to the Great Patriotic War in our own special way. We have a monument bearing 300-400 names of people who went to war at that time and only a few of them returned. The story of our film is based on is partly inspired by my granddad's story. I and my brother Alan, who wrote the script, reflected on this story and made a film about it".
Alan Koliev: "They say that all coincidences are random, but in this case they are probably not. The script is based on a piece written by Mikhail Bulkaty, describing our family's history. But in the film, we wanted to highlight some layers, which were not obvious".
Rysbek Bokeev: "I understand that Tolya invited me to shoot to get a new vision. I come from Kyrgyzstan, and I saw Ossetia's remarkable nature for the first time just before the shooting, so I had a fresh perspective. And then, when I read the script and learned it was their personal story, I really felt it out and I am grateful they gave me the chance to be part of its adaptation".
Alan Sokurov: "I and Anatoly are already working in the industry in Yellow, black and white and Start film projects, but when Tolya had the idea to make such a film, I could not miss the chance. We postponed many Moscow projects, which gave us profits. We understood the The Black Notes project is not about money, but a very close and important endeavour for us, so we invested all we could in it. Like the actors who didn't even want to leave the shooting set during breaks".
Maksim Karayev: "This story is close to everyone. It shows we must honour traditions and memories".
Zita Latsoyeva: "In Ossetia, it is very hard to find a family without a connection with the Great Patriotic War. My father's elder brother was a war veteran, and the younger one was mobilized and disappeared. This film shows this link of ages we are feeling so deep today".
The film is set in the year 1942 when two brothers are waiting for their father to return from the frontline. They see what the black notes, as death notices were called at the time, do to people and ask the postman to hide them from people until the end of the war.
Anatoly Koliev: "We in the Republic of Ossetia relate to the Great Patriotic War in our own special way. We have a monument bearing 300-400 names of people who went to war at that time and only a few of them returned. The story of our film is based on is partly inspired by my granddad's story. I and my brother Alan, who wrote the script, reflected on this story and made a film about it".
Alan Koliev: "They say that all coincidences are random, but in this case they are probably not. The script is based on a piece written by Mikhail Bulkaty, describing our family's history. But in the film, we wanted to highlight some layers, which were not obvious".
Rysbek Bokeev: "I understand that Tolya invited me to shoot to get a new vision. I come from Kyrgyzstan, and I saw Ossetia's remarkable nature for the first time just before the shooting, so I had a fresh perspective. And then, when I read the script and learned it was their personal story, I really felt it out and I am grateful they gave me the chance to be part of its adaptation".
Alan Sokurov: "I and Anatoly are already working in the industry in Yellow, black and white and Start film projects, but when Tolya had the idea to make such a film, I could not miss the chance. We postponed many Moscow projects, which gave us profits. We understood the The Black Notes project is not about money, but a very close and important endeavour for us, so we invested all we could in it. Like the actors who didn't even want to leave the shooting set during breaks".
Maksim Karayev: "This story is close to everyone. It shows we must honour traditions and memories".
Zita Latsoyeva: "In Ossetia, it is very hard to find a family without a connection with the Great Patriotic War. My father's elder brother was a war veteran, and the younger one was mobilized and disappeared. This film shows this link of ages we are feeling so deep today".