With Tatyana Popova

In «20 Cigarettes» Maxim Sukhanov is paradoxical as usual. But this time he is producing “young” movies, intervenes with the script and plays a strange and, in fact, a terrible man, who is to decide “to be or not to be” for the others. It doesn’t matter that is not about life and death but only about vacancies, it’s very complicated anyway, since for most people life and a wanted vacancy have become synonims. In our life, so complicated and densed according to the principle of a modern multy-room appartment with many householders, everyone takes the risk of either betray or being betrayed. In a bright labyrinth of large and small offices there is no third option. Even the strongest person risks to get lost amogst numerous offices – honeycombs, that fear us with their clear six-faceted shape.

Once you said, that there is no greater humiliation for you than to agree to an inner compromise... Would your character sign under the same words?

Compromise is not the best thing, of course, especially if you are the one who is compromising, understanding at the same time that the other opinion is 100 % insolvent. I think, my character would sign under these words, since Manuil Petrovich is a person extravagant not only in his actions, but also in his thoughts. My charater is obsessed by collective consciousness, he is fond of bees’ life style, as well as he is interested in the way people act in society. Manuil Petrovich gives his special attention to the way a separate young indidvidual – the main character - will act in circustances he created.

Unfortunatelly, we know very little about Manil Petrovich himself, his lifestyle, what happens in his home, who lives there, etc. It seems like there is nothing there – no people or furniture, only the pictures of the bees. Anyway we didn’t manage to shoot everything we planned, and the cut-out scenes could have said more about my character.

Isn’t your character taking too much upon himself? Seems like in one of the script episodes he is trying to replace other fate-making inctances by himself.

He is provoking! And when the person provokes others he uses every single method in his psychologocal fight, it’s most important to shock and impress. In a certain sense he himself acts like a bee. He feels the main character very well, he senses his weaknesses in behaviour and turns his charm to them, eager to test him. On the other side his provokation is aimed at revealing those weak points. To my mind, he plays the queen-bee, able to give life to the whole swarm as well to take it away from male-bees. I guess he read too much of Merelink before he started to draw bees.

Anyway, your character makes an impression of inadquate person from time to time...

I think he is even more than adequate, otherwise he wouldn’t have worked in this position. He is extravagant, it’s true, but in real life there are people far more extravagant and they have even higher positions.

Is the talk abot genres valid in modern cinematography?

To my mind, it is possible to talk about genres only with substantial supposition. I don’t really like the word «genre» itself, as well as the word «role» just because I'm not happy with everything that sets frames. It seems to me that putting things into frames we restrict our perception and give wrong estimations, haven’t seen the movie, haven’t read the book and haven’t understood what kind of person is in fron of us. I’m sure, it’s importnat to avoid stereotypes whenever and wherever it is possible. Of coure, I don’t suggest to land aircrafts at an improvised module according to an author’s want, but a free craft like movie-making allows this.

Why did you take the offer to participate in «20 Cigarettes», and even bacome a co-producer? The film director is young, the script-writer is young, the producer is young as well...

In the first place, it was interesting for me to work with Irina Smolko. She is a professional, very nice and goal-oriented person. The fact that the film director Alexander Goronovsky is a debutant, only iproved my interest. And, the last thing is that I was at the point of no return, since the scenes with my character were written by my wife, Etery Chaladzia. I emphasyze, it’s a pitty not all of them were incuded in the «final edition». It happens.

Anyway, all that you talked about is quite clear, the image is rather whole and meaningful which is a good back-balance for the main character. Have you had shared artistic projects with you wife, Etery, before?

There were some but before «20 Cigarettes» we haven’t worked in movies together. I can say I really enjoyed it. I guess it helps us for we communicate and discuss a lot, feel each other. We are alike and different at the same time and this allows us to build up the right communication, when people do not repeat ech other but they add up to each other. We have several team-works, including those in cinematography, which are still being shot. Etery writes dialogues for me and I understand the reason why she wrote this and that.

What kind of movies would you be interested to produce, namely, arhouse or mainstream?

I’m interested in individual cinematography, brave and alternative in its expressive means. It doesn’t mean that there can’t be good actors with their own view to their character, but the director’s view for me is more important. This kind of cinematography moves me as a person and as a spectator in the first place.

In the West arthouse movies occupy a substantial nieche. Is it real to make arthouse profitable in our country?

I think we must aim at this. Author’s films must not only take over a small group of its fans but also arise respect and interest of a mass spectator and renter. No single process including the cultural one is «frozen». It is really hard to predict its development, but if we interfere with it and do something little by little, maybe the time will pass and people will start to treat what we call «arthouse» differently. Meaning, more merciful, than in the modern world.

Do you have any producing plans for now?

I play in three movies at the moment, that’s why no producing plans so far. I’m demanded as an actor and I have no time for something else. As for the plans – they always come spontaneously, there is nothing to predict.

Tell us, are acting in theatre and in movies different professions really?

Theatre and cinema – are two different trritories. Working at the theatre is very useful for developing and keeping up the psychophysics. Sicne I usually have about 8 plays a month for ten months, of course, I pay more attention to the theatre. But I don’t refuse really good offers to participate in movies. Now I’m more into theatre, that’s true, but who knows what comes next!