| 8.00 pm, 31 October, Saturday. Followed by Q&A with director Karen Shakhnazarov 8.30 pm, 2 November, Monday 8.30 pm, 4 November, Wednesday This adaptation of a Chekhov short story is the work of one of the most influential figures of Russian cinema today, Karen Shakhnazarov, Director General of the world-renowned studio Mosfilm. Set in contemporary Russia, the film follows Doctor Andrey Ragin who ends up as a patient in his own asylum after a growing fascination with one of his patients leads to schizophrenia. Shakhnazarov believes the story has a universal aspect, commenting that there is always an element of Ward No. 6 in the world. The film has an intriguing backstory: the script was originally written in 1988 when Shakhnazarov and screenwriter Borodyansky were in collaboration with Italian producers. Whats more Marcello Mastroianni was to have taken the lead role. However, the project was postponed when arguments over the contemporary setting of the film could not be resolved. The project was revived in recent years, now with Vladimir Ilyin playing Dr. Ragin. Ilyins powerful performance adds to the brilliance of this film. The film was shot in a working mental asylum, originally an old Russian monastery, near Moscow with some of the real patients taking on roles as extras. Shooting took less than a month. |
