Cinema of the young
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The Youth Film Studio started working under Belarusfilm. We learned who and how can get there and what ideas will definitely be in demand.
New, debut, young, future — such words are heard these days within the walls of Belarusfilm. Since August, a new structural subdivision has been created here: the Youth Film Studio, also known as Smolk@. Director General of the Belarusfilm National Film Studio Vladimir Karachevsky has ambitious plans for it. Including the breaking of stereotypes. Cinema of the young is not a movie with a negligible budget. This is a new look at both genres and quality. “The studio should become a laboratory in which ideas will accumulate. We give young people the opportunity to express themselves. After all, if we do not take care of youth, someone else will take care of it,” Vladimir Karachevsky, as we can see, is very resolute.
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But it is necessary to work with young people: such a condition is dictated by life. Therefore, the organisation of a full-fledged Youth Film Studio is not know-how, but the revival of traditions.”
In addition to the actual creation of films, the emphasis will be on learning and transferring knowledge. There will be, among other things, educational courses — primarily for the most scarce professions in the film industry. Vladimir Karachevsky does not hide: there really is a problem, “Unfortunately, the second string of the film crews is practically not prepared. These are administrators, props, make-up artists. We do not have enough people who can organise the filming process, work with directors, directors, cameramen... Therefore, there is a preliminary agreement on organising courses of a similar profile on the basis of the film studio. Now we are preparing the premises and classrooms.”
Yelena Turova, a well-known director, poet and teacher, became the artistic director of the studio. She is also a person who is always ready to help young talents to open up.
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Yelena Turova sees the goal of the studio not only in practical training in the basics of filmmaking, but also in the opportunity to speak with the audience in the language of youth.
“We will look for personnel throughout the country, not only in Minsk. It does not have to be students of creative universities. We are looking for people who have imagination, energy, potential and desire to work for the development and prestige of Belarusian cinema. We are already accepting applications. But I emphasise: we will not take everyone who wants to, otherwise we will drown. We will hold a competition, an interview, perhaps a review of projects ... Yes, we are open to everyone. But we will not allow graphomania in cinema,” adds the director.
So far, short films are in priority — purely from a practical point of view. But, if there are worthy ideas for a feature film, they, of course, will also be considered.
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Loyal fans of the Minsk International Film Festival Listapad will surely remember the young director Kirill Khaletsky from his last year’s film Road, which participated in the ‘Cinema of the Young’ competition. This year, Kirill was assigned to the studio — he will no longer make an educational film, but the first big movie. He has 2 years for this purpose.
“The main idea: family, comedy, summer. I wish the whole family could come to the film. As for the genre, I think people are missing quality comedies. Enough of the negative, let’s add the positive,” Kirill shares his plans.
Vladimir Karachevsky, in turn, is convinced that a person should not be left in a state of hopelessness, “The task of cinema is to bring bright emotions, inspire, delight. As the director of a film studio, I am fascinated by the direction of youth cinema. There are no stamps, conventions. The main thing is the desire, resources, potential, prospects. There is funding aimed at creating youth projects. In the end, it’s just interesting when young people speak the language of cinema with the same young people.”
Among the immediate plans of the Smolk@ studio is a film dedicated to the anniversary of the Belarusian Union of Cinematographers, in the creation of which students of the Academy of Arts will take part. The film will be directed by Kirill Khaletsky.
By Yuliana Leonovich