KinoKlub March – Once Upon a Time There Lived a Simple Woman / Жила-была одна баба
(with English subtitles)
Sun 18 March, 15.00 UK PREMIERE + Q&A with director Andrei Smirnov
Mon 26 March, 20.30
Mon 2 April, 20.30
Tickets for non-members £12/£10
Films can sell-out in advance. We advice you to book early to avoid disappointment
Russia, 2011, 150min
Director: Andrei Smirnov
Producers: Andrei Smirnov, Elena Smirnova
Screenplay: Andrei Smirnov
Cinematography: Nikolai Ivasin, Yuri Shaygardanov
Starring: Darya Yekamasova, Vlad Abashin, Maxim Averin, Aleksey Serebryakov, Yuri Shevchuk
Production: Marmot Film
KinoKlub is delighted to announce that acclaimed Russian actor and director Andrei Smirnov will be in London to attend the premiere screening of his award-winning filmONCE UPON A TIME THERE LIVED A SIMPLE WOMAN.
‘It has been a long time since a film of such exceptional power has graced cinema screens’ Rossiskaya Gazeta
‘A deeply insightful portrayal of the Civil War’ Vedomosti
Winner of the Special Jury Prize at the Window to Europe Film Festival in Vyborg, Russia and shown at the Montreal World Film Festival and Sputnik Film Festival this gripping historical drama charts the horror and tragedy of the Russian Revolution as seen through the eyes of Varvara (Darya Yakamasova), a young peasant woman.
‘Once...’ is the culmination of thirty years work by Andrei Smirnov; the idea for the film first came to him many years ago but battles with the Soviet censors prevented him from starting work on it. From 1987 onwards, the changing political climate allowed him to resume work on the project. The film is the result of years of meticulous research, including repeated visits to the KGB archives to collect materials and extended stays in the countryside to talk with descendants of survivors of the Revolution and Civil War.
Andrei Smirnov
Andrei Smirnov is one of Russia’s most respected directors, whose previous films include ANGEL (1967), BELARUS STATION (1973) and AUTUMN (1974). In recent years he has received great acclaim as an actor, gaining particular attention for his leading role in Andrei Zvyagintsev’s ELENA , which won the Special Jury Prize at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.