Irina, how did the work on the movie begin?

We were looking for the most modern, trendy, topical, actual and flashy script. Came across Dmitry Sobolev’s creative idea of 20 cigarettes. Employed him to write the script. Found the movie manager; he invited two other script writers, to add some spice to the script. Thus we’ve got the superscript.

What is its fundamental theme?

What disturbs and motivates a man of our time? His identity and his place in life, his success, his career, his family, the discrepancy between his private life and his work. At any rate, many complain of it. He is limited by the confines of the contemporary way of life and is striving to remain free. Our movie is all about it. Condensed in one day.

A lot of events happen in a day and night that might not happen in a week. You are not afraid, it will seem unbelievable?

I think, it is a good metaphor. The intensity of life in a short life span. Of course, life may trot along, the events dispersed during a longer stretch of time, but for our main character they were crammed in one day. In fact, everything that happened to him could have happened in one day and night. The rhythm of our modern life follows the rhythm of the movie and vice-versa.

To your mind, who will find the movie appealing? What is your targeted audience?

We think, the age group from 17 to 25 — the young people defining their goal in life will find the life story of our main character captivating. The movie also caters for older audience from 25 to 35, less anxious what institute to choose and how to determine their life and career, where to work after they have graduated. They are building up their life here and now. The movie is for them. The older generation will also be interested in this facet of the contemporary life.

The movie is devoted to self-determination. How do cigarettes come up in the title?

And what is the most acute problem of every other man? To give up smoking, not to start smoking. In my opinion, it is of vital importance. In reality people are involved in self-struggle. The cigarettes, the problem of smoking is also a metaphor. Tobacco companies are the wealthiest in the world. Yet, we know that the campaign against smoking, a way of social defense doesn’t lack funding. So, we are waging an incessant struggle against ourselves.

Have you found any artistic devices, while working on the movie?

We have, I must admit it. First of all, the trend of eccentric realism has been discovered. Secondly, the creative team that has assembled will render this modulated, gleaming image of our current time onto the screen. The effect of the rainbow-tinted reflection. The very concept of the movie, a day split in 20 parts, connected with cigarettes is not common for the cinema. It is rather attributed to art house cinema and we are shooting a commercial movie.

Who is taking part in the creation of the movie besides the movie manager, the script writer, the filmmaker, the head of the surveying team?

There are such talented people as the art-director Denis Bauer, costume designer Tatiana Ubeyvolk, make-up designer Elvira Zotova, cameraman Alexander Kuznetzov, the whole team, working on the movie. Ivan Geranchev is a dazzling sound producer. Actors are vitally essential in filmmaking. We are trying to guess the image in precise detail to get it imprinted in the consciousness of cinema-goers. To sum it all up, the cast, the creative team is up to the mark, to cope with what we are aiming at, while the administrative crew is assisting them effectively. It consists of many people, working on the movie daily. I am not going to name the surnames; all of them will be in the subtitles. The movie team is a huge community.

How will you impart the essence of the movie in one sentence?

Where you are heading — there you’ll arrive.

When will the movie appear on the wide screen?

In the autumn of 2007.

Will the movie be shown abroad?

Yes, it will.

Will the movie take part in cinema festivals?

We’re planning it.

Have you got any other projects connected with the movie?

The novel is being written. Extracts from the novel may appear on our site earlier than the movie. It goes without saying, that we are very particular in the choice of music and the sound track, besides we are discussing the launch of a computer game.