«The city, the megapolis, growing day by day with the floors of newly built houses and office buildings, dying every night in traffic and resurrecting in the morning, is our old friend and old torturer. This city is one of the main characters of the film» – says Sergey Chekryzhov (a composer of «20 Cigarettes» theme, a composer-arranger of «Nord Ost» musical, a leader and composer of «Neschastnyi Sluchay» («Accident») band.

Name: Oskar Kuchera. Date of birth: 11th August, 1974. State, city: Russia, Moscow. Education: State Arts and Theatre Institute (graduation year 1996), Livnev’s workshop. Hobbies: snowboard, wakeboard, bike, parachute jumping, diving. Favourite band: Depeche Mode. Profession: theatre and cinema actor. Films: «Soldiers» and «The Streets Of Broken Lights» series, full-screen films: «Man’s Season: Velvet Revolution», «Barbie’s Wedding», «Russian Money», also starting this autumn «Apocalypse Code», «Rood and Sam», «20 Cigarettes».

Time and place of action is a modern city, which dictates the foreshortening, cutting rhythms and the soundtrack that seems endless. Songs and themes for the film were chosen by Oleg Pshenichnyi, who worked on «Peter FM» film. Oskar Kuchera doesn’t sing in there, although he is a leader of his own band «O.K. Project», but these are just the details… Well, but they say, the whole is comprised of details.

You have a great experience of playing very different characters. From lieutenant Porokhnja in «The Streets Of Broken Lights» to Murzavetsky in «Russian Money» (screenplay by Igor Maslennikov based on the play «Wolves and Sheep» written by Ostrovsky). Which is closer to you: the problem of the contemporary or of a different time hero?

The time doesn’t really matter in terms of action, any role allows to talk about present-day in a different historical surrounding and in different circumstances. That is all. I see no sharp distinctions from the problems of a modern man. The reason is that people of all times deal with the most important issues in the first place. Friendship, betrayal and love are the issues raised in «Russian Money» and «20 Cigarettes».

As for «20 Cigarettes», in this film you played a person successful in all the aspects of life, but ……… How does it feel to play the role of a loser?

Boris is not a loser, vice versa, he is a successful person! The one who got rid of the so-called-friend, who could have betrayed him in a different situation and could have made the consequences even worse. Boris does not cheat on anyone, does not lie or betray, from this point of view he can’t be possibly called a loser. Just because he is better.

Which genre would refer to «20 Cigarettes»?

I don’t like to differentiate films according to different genres. It is almost the same as to differentiate actors by their, characters and lines. You can’t find any of those in purity. If we talk about some kind of synthesis, this film is more likely to be a social drama, a bit ironical though.

From your personal point of view, is this story a present-day or the eternal one?

Of course, even a modern, present-day story about betrayal, love and hate can’t be different. It is always an eternal story.

Alexander Goronovsky, the director of film «20 Cigarettes» started with a short film «Son», worked on TV with documentals. Perhaps, due to this experience «20 Cigarettes» is shot with a bright modern language, which is one of the essentials of success.

This film is a debut of Alexander Goronovsky as a producer. How did you get on with him in the working process?

Sasha is a clever man. I enjoyed working with him. He pertains to a type of young producers – he is eager to create, not to daub or do hack-work. This quality is always very winning. We worked on the character thoroughly: many rehearsals, discussions, little details to think over, but anyway there appeared something new all the time. For over half a year we have reflected on this character and had many meetings before we came to see it the same way. I suppose the character became very interesting and I sympathize him greatly.