Terra Nova
Russia, 2008, 140 min Action/Fantasy
Presented by Andreevski Flag
Director Alexander Mel'nik
Screenplay Arif Aliev
Director of photography Ilya Demin
Art Director Sergei Gudilin, Vladimir Donskov
Composer Gleb Matveichuk, Andrei Komissarov
Starring Konstantin Lavronenko, Marat Basharov, Andrei Fes'kov, Ingeborga Dapkunaite, Sergei Zhigunov
Awards: ‘Best Commercial Project' 19th Sochi Film Festival ‘Kinotavr'
‘Best Cinematography', Ilya Demin, 19th Sochi Film Festival ‘Kinotavr'
synopsis
It is 2013. The entire world has abolished capital punishment. Prisons are overcrowded with ex-condemned men. The international community decides to launch an experiment entitled ‘Terra Nova'. A trial group of convicts is sent away to a deserted island, far away from civilization. There, they are left alone for three months, free from the guards' control. The convicts must learn how to live and to coexist in a new environment. A rare melange of genres, this debut work successfully balances between action thriller and intellectual arthouse film.
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creators
Director
Alexander Mel'nik is a debutante filmmaker. He began his career as a journalist and a writer, and has even worked at a Moldavian Steel factory. In 1992 he moved to Moscow, where he opened the publishing house ‘Andreevski Flag', and began to produce documentary films. In 2004 he created a new production company under the same name. Andreevski Flag produced Maria Saakyan's critically acclaimed debut film ‘The Lighthouse', and Sergei Bodrov's box-office hit ‘Mongol'. ‘Terra Nova' is Mel'nik's third project as a producer.
Ilya Demin
Director of Cinematography
Born in 1964, Ilya graduated from the VGIK Cinematography department, where he was taught by Vadim Yusov. In 1993, together with some of the leading DOPs, he founded the Russian Association of Cinematographers. Ilya's filmography includes 21 feature films, and many more music videos, TV programmes and commercials.
actors
Konstantin Lavronenko (Zhilin)
Lavronenko swept the European film world with his two remarkable performances in Andrei Zviagentsev's arthouse hits ‘The Return' and ‘Banishment', receiving the ‘Best Actor' Palme d'Or in Cannes 2007 for the latter. Making no films since 1985, he remained virtually unknown to the Russian cinema goers until 2003. His career has progressed swiftly over the past few years, placing Lavronenko right at the fore of the national and international film scene.
Marat Basharov (Tolya, the Metalworker)
Born in 1977, Marat initially studied law. However, he soon dropped out of university and was offered a place in Sovremnnik, one of the leading Moscow theatres. His major cinematic breakthrough came with his part in Mikhalkov's hugely successful, big-budget film ‘The Barber of Siberia'. Since then Marat has acted in almost twenty films, most of which became national successes.
Ingeborga Dapkunaite (Marta)
Born in the former Soviet State of Latvia, Ingeborga first established herself as a theatre actress. Her first role in Todorovsky's ‘Katya Izmailov' (1992) drew the attention of national critics and audiences, and it was the leading female role in Mikhalkov's Oscar-winning ‘Burnt by the Sun' (1994) that introduced Dapkuniate to the international film scene. Her filmography includes ‘Mission Impossible', ‘Seven Years in Tibet' and ‘The Kiss of Life'. In 2004 Ingaborga appeared on the stage of the Old Vic in Kevin Spacey's production of ‘Cloaca'.
Back to the main programme at the Russian Film Festival 2008
