Alexander Zolotukhin

Alexander Zolotukhin
Alexander Zolotukhin at his 'Brother in Every Inch' photocall at Berlin Film Festival, February 13, 2022
Born
Александр Николаевич Золотухин

1988 (age 36–37)
Zaporizhzhia, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
NationalityRussian
Occupations
  • Director
  • screenwriter
Years active2014–present
Notable workA Russian Youth [ru], Brother in Every Inch (2022)

Alexander Nikolayevich Zolotukhin (Russian: Александр Николаевич Золотухин) is a Russian film director and scenarist, student of Alexander Sokurov.

Biography

Alexander was born to a military pilot serving in Ukraine, the family moved frequently and stayed in Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Caucasus.[1]

Zolotukhin graduated from art school in 2005 and enrolled in the Economics Department of the Kabardino-Balkarian State University (KBSU). He graduated as a programmer and worked in the specialty to pay for studies at the Saint Petersburg State Institute of Film and Television Screen Arts department. In 2012 he transferred to Alexander Sokurov's course at KBSU and graduated in 2015 together with Kira Kovalenko, Kantemir Balagov and Vladimir Bitokov.[2][3][4] He played a small part in Balagov's debut film Closeness.[5]

Career

Zolotukhin's early works include New Prometheus (2011), Songs That People Sang Before I Was Born (2012), Ornament (2014), Opyty (2016), Life Story of My Friend (2017), To Stumble (2019).[6]

In 2019 Zolotukhin released his debut A Russian Youth [ru]. The film tells a story of a Russian peasant boy who volunteers as a soldier in 1916 and loses his sight at the very first combat.[2][7] The main part was played by an orphan Vladimir Korolev, Alexander Sokurov became the movie's art consultant.[8][9][10] The film was premiered in 2019 at the Berlin International Film Festival.[11][12][13] The movie was awarded at numerous festivals and competitions, it got Nika 2021 "Discovery of the Year" Award, ‘Best Director Debut’ at the International Film Festival "Baltic Debuts", Gran-Prix of the ‘Forward Future’ program at Beijing International Film Festival, two main prizes of Fajr International Film Festival, Gran-Prix of the XVII International Film Festival "Pacific Meridian",[14] Circle Award 2019,[15][16][17] and Special Prize at the XVI Sevilla International Film Festival.[18]

Zolotukhin's second movie Brother in Every Inch (rus. «Брат во всём») premiered at the 72 Berlin Film Festival in the Encounters section.[19][20] The movie tells a story of two brothers who share a dream of becoming pilots and enter an air force school. Despite the militarism of the setting, the film turned out to be a subtle anti-war manifesto. As explained by Zolotukhin, his heroes dream about flights and free sky, not about bombings. In interviews, the director directly calls ‘any war a disgusting, indecent and horrible thing’. The main parts were played by twin brothers Nikolay and Sergey Zhuravlev who are actually actors of the puppet theater.[21] By a sad coincidence, the Russian premiere took place on February 24, 2022.[22]

References

  1. ^ ""Я хотел снимать только реальные полёты" // С. Сычёв, Известия". Archived from the original on 2022-03-20. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  2. ^ a b Anisimova, E. (2018-04-17). "Знакомьтесь, Александр Золотухин – ученик Сокурова заканчивает дебютную картину "Слухач"" [Alexander Zolotukhin – Sokurov’s student finishes his debut film] (in Russian). Sobaka. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  3. ^ "Тонкости стыковки. Мастерская Александра Сокурова вписалась в классический университет" [Nuances of connection: Alexander Sokurov’s studio in classic university] (in Russian). Poisk News. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  4. ^ Smyslov, V. (2021-09-21). "Twelve" (in Russian). The Blueprint. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  5. ^ "Ученики Александра Сокурова, о которых мы еще не раз услышим" [Sokurov's students we’’ll hear more from] (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2021-07-29. Retrieved 2022-03-15.
  6. ^ "Brat vo vsyom (Brother in Every Inch)" (in Russian). Berlinale. Retrieved 2022-07-01.
  7. ^ "Фильм о мальчике-слухаче на Первой мировой войне покажут в Новосибирске" (in Russian). Tayga Info. 2020-01-30. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  8. ^ "Почему фильм ученика Сокурова Александра Золотухина "Мальчик русский" – настоящий антивоенный манифест?" [Why Alexander Sokurov's student Alexander Zolotukhin's debut ‘A Russian Youth’ is an anti-war manifesto?] (in Russian). Sobaka. 2019-02-13. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  9. ^ Shavlovsky, K. (2021-07-28). "Кавказский хронотоп. История Кабардино-Балкарской мастерской Александра Сокурова" [Caucasian chronotopos: Alexander Sokurov's Course in KBSU] (in Russian). Kino Art. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  10. ^ ""Слухач" - окончание съемок" [‘Listener’ goes in post production] (in Russian). Lenfilm. 2017-07-28. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  11. ^ "Музыка пророчеств" [Prophecy music] (in Russian). Rossiyskaya Gazeta. Archived from the original on 2021-09-18. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  12. ^ "Александр Золотухин: "Милитаристские лозунги звучат все громче"" [Alexander Zolotukhin: ‘Calls to arms are getting louder’]. Archived from the original on 2021-05-07. Retrieved 2022-03-15.
  13. ^ "Золотухин доволен премьерой своего фильма "Мальчик русский" на Берлинале" [Zolotukhin satisfied with his ‘A Russian Youth’ Berlin premiere] (in Russian). RIA Novosti. 2019-02-14. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  14. ^ Drobysheva, I. (2019-09-25). "Большинство наград "Меридианов Тихого" получили российские работы" [Most Awards at "Pacific Meridian" go to Russians] (in Russian). Rossiyskaya Gazeta. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  15. ^ ""Мальчик русский" получил звание "Лучшего фильма-дебюта"" [‘A Russian Youth’ awarded Best Debut] (in Russian). Lenfilm. 2020-01-23. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  16. ^ "Статуэтку "Ника" как "Открытие года" получили Александр Золотухин и Филипп Юрьев" [Filipp Yuryev and Alexander Zolotukhin get Nika Award as Best Debut]. TASS. Archived from the original on 2021-04-25. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  17. ^ "Ленфильмовская картина "Мальчик русский" награждена в Иране" [‘A Russian Youth’ of Lenfilm Awarded in Iran] (in Russian). Rosbalt. 2019-04-30. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  18. ^ Gladkikh, D. (2019-11-21). "Фильм Александра Золотухина "Мальчик русский" получил специальный приз на XVI Международном кинофестивале в Севилье" [Alexander Zolotukhin's ‘A Russian Youth’ gets Special Prize at XVI Sevilla International Film Festival] (in Russian). Sobaka. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  19. ^ Vourlias, C. (2022-02-11). "Alexander Zolotukhin Flies High in Berlinale Encounters Premiere 'Brother'". Variety. Retrieved 2022-07-01.
  20. ^ Tara Judah (2022-02-13). "'Brother In Every Inch': Berlin Review" (in Russian). Screen Daily. Retrieved 2022-07-01.
  21. ^ Franklin, A. (2022-02-16). "FNE at Berlinale 2022: Encounters: Brother in Every Inch". Film New Europe. Retrieved 2022-07-01.
  22. ^ "Премьера фильма Александра Золотухина "Брат во всем" пройдет в кинотеатре "Художественный"" [Alexander Zolotukhin's ‘Brother in Every Inch’ premiere at Khudozhestvenny cinema centre] (in Russian). Art Moscow. 2022-02-18. Retrieved 2022-06-30.