Feature film about Orthodox monk sweeps Russian film awards

[pensateomnia]

Feature film about Orthodox monk sweeps Russian film awards


Sophia Kishkovsky

Moscow (ENI) -- A feature film about repentance - as embodied by a Russian Orthodox monk tormented by his wartime past - has swept top prizes at Russia's main film awards ceremony. "Ostrov," or "Island," took six Zolotoi Oryol, or Golden Eagle awards, including best film, director and actor at a ceremony on 27 January.

The film stars Pyotr Mamonov, a Soviet-era underground rock star who has become a devout Orthodox believer and now lives in an isolated village. It was directed by Pavel Lungin, previously most famous for "Taxi Blues", a perestroika-era film also starring Mamonov, and "Tycoon: A New Russian," a fictionalised take on the rise of Boris Berezovsky, a controversial magnate now living in British exile.

In his acceptance speech, compared by some Russian media to a sermon, Mamonov condemned his own popularity as idolatry and called on Russian women to stop having abortions.

Structured like a parable, "Ostrov" tells the tale of Father Anatoly, a fictional monk who for decades seeks God's forgiveness for shooting a fellow monk at the Nazis' behest during the Second World War to save his own life. The film is set in the 1970s in a remote northern island monastery, a timeframe for which some have taken the film to task since the church was then still repressed by the State.

Patriarch Alexei II, and other senior clerics, praised "Ostrov" for its profound depiction of faith and monastic life. Addressing a church conference on 29 January, the Patriarch called "Ostrov" a "vivid example of an effort to take a Christian approach to culture".

"Ostrov", which was the closing film at the 2006 Venice Film Festival, was also a top box office draw in Russia's state-of-the-art new Dolby-outfitted multiplexes after its November release, playing alongside Hollywood blockbusters. Its television broadcast on 7 January, the Russian Christmas, drew ratings during the extended holiday season, second only to President Vladimir Putin's New Year's Eve address.

Lungin has said of his film: "We tried to convey in it, a sense that there is a God, that we are not alone on this earth."

http://www.eni.ch/featured/article.php?id=561

[observer]

Saw it three times - I love it.  But would a western audience appreciate it?   From what i read about lives of contemporary saints is that there very little materialism - in fact people can scarcely eat.  There's no HBO MTV, yes of course Pravda and Komsomol  are full of porn - but the average church goer lives in a difference world and probably doesn't read such junk.  Give me Russian Orthodoxy anytime - you can spare me the cuisine and volumes of Pushkin.

[observer]

<a fictional monk who for decades seeks God's forgiveness for shooting a fellow monk at the Nazis' behest during the Second World War to save his own life.>  In fact he is a sailor, a stoker who shoots his captain.   He spends the rest of his life as a monk stoking the boilers in the monastery where he is covered in soot (doesn't wash).  It's a kind of living Hades, fire, steam and dirt.  And he sleeps on the coal as a podvig.  Real Dostieyesvsky stuff.

[cholmes]

Sounds excellent, I hope to see it.

[Brian]

Thank you for calling attention to this film.  It sounds excellent and I'll be sure to see it.

I found a good review from the Sundance festival showing.

http://www.cinematical.com/2007/01/20/sundance-review-ostrov-island/

[TinaG]

Does anyone know if this movie will be put into limited release nationwide or available eventually on DVD?

Tina G.

[Timos]

Does anyone know if an english subtitled version has been released? I guess Amazon would eventually start selling it.

[alexander]

Amazon has one used copy for 39.99;however,I found an english-subtitled copy on ebay for 21.99.The seller has 4 more copies for sale at the same price.They are in the PAL format which means you(people in the US)will need a region-free dvd player to view it.

[pensateomnia]

FYI, you can watch a (low-quality) collection of fairly powerful scenes from the film here:

http://www.e.bell.ca/filmfest/2006/films_schedules/films_description.asp?id=161

Just click on "View the Video".

This actor seems to be an interesting character himself.

[Sean P.]

Half of Russian adult audience saw The Island on TV:

Moscow, January 11, Interfax - The Island by Pavel Lungin became number one in the New Year TV programmes.

A source in Rossiya TV channel press service told Interfax on Thursday that 41,5% of TV viewers over eighteen saw The Island on Orthodox Christmas, January 7.

The Island got the highest rating among all programmes and films after Presidential New Year greetings, ’ he added.

The Island was the last film shown at Venice Film Festival 2006. Critics claim it to be one of its major events.

http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=2465

The Island’s success shows people don’t need Madonna who ‘climbs up the cross in the center of the Third Rome’ - Petr Mamonov, lead of the film

Moscow, January 29, Interfax - The Island is ‘a simple, honest and pure film’ which has made people think about eternal values, believes musician and actor Petr Mamonov who played Starets Anatoly.

‘The Island box-office has shown that people don’t need either porno or the Devil who wears Prada or ‘all and at once to be yielded to temptation’ or Madonna who climbs up the cross in the center of the Third Rome. If there is a place where Christianity has survived it is Russia’. Mamonov said in an interview with the Rossijskaya Gazeta daily published on Monday.

The troubles and tragedies of Russians today, he said, come from the fact that ‘we dare not to pray, nor do we ask God for help that he may save our country and our children’.

‘In our province a man lost his salary to a playing machine, took a bank credit, then lost his house and hanged himself - and this is taken in cold blood’, the actor said bitterly in the interview.

The end of the world, according to Mamonov, will come ‘when the money will be concentrated in the hands of one man’, when ‘the diabolic idea’ of pursuit of money will finally triumph in the world.

http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=2534

[QuoVadis]

Hi everyone,

Just watched this film after Church yesterday ... wow ... left speechless ... beautiful and very touching to the soul!

Funnily enough, a couple of weeks ago I stumbled across the film's website, but today can't find it.  Does anyone have a link for the film's website?

Your help would be greatly appreciated!
Many thanks!

[QuoVadis]

It's OK ... found it!
http://www.ostrov-film.ru/

[cholmes]

Is there an English version? 

[Pavlos]

I purchased a PAL version from Amazon and just watched it.

I had to use region free DVD software on my PC to do it...no biggie really.

The version I have is in Russin with English subtitles...the english subtitles are sometimes very suspect but the overall effect is still there...great film.

-Pavlos

[ROCORthodox]

I purchased a PAL version from Amazon and just watched it.

I had to use region free DVD software on my PC to do it...no biggie really.

The version I have is in Russin with English subtitles...the english subtitles are sometimes very suspect but the overall effect is still there...great film.

-Pavlos

I just received my Amazon purchase (which was from an affiliate seller) -  advertised as having English subtitles - and it had no English subtitles!   Did you get your copy directly from Amazon and if not, who did you get it from?  I'd like to order a proper copy as well.

[minasoliman]

I would waste no time to complain about it.

[BrotherAidan]

hopefully this movie will become more easily available

[ROCORthodox]

I would waste no time to complain about it.

I did strait away.  They refunded my money and let me keep the movie! 

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