Russia, 2007, 90 min Drama
Presented by Pavel Lungin Studio, BFG Media Production
Director Marina Liubakova
Screenplay Marina Liubakova, Denis Rodimin
Producer Iurii Glotser, Olga Vasileva, Pavel Lungin, Rima Shulgina, Nadezhda Soloveva
Director of photography Anton Drozdov
Art Director Sergei Agin
Composer Dato Evgenidze
Starring Anna Begunova, Renata Litvinova, Olga Onishchenko, Evgenii Serov, Aleksei Frandetti, Aleksandra Astakhova, Nikita Emshanov
Awards: ‘Moscow Premiers' Film Festival ‘Best Actress' award, Renata Litvinova
Kiev IFF ‘Youth' ‘Ives Montagne Award' for ‘Best Young Actor/Actress', Anna Begunova
synopsis
Zoya is a successful but lonely business woman in her thirties. Vika is a teenage girl longing for independence. Her favourite pastime is photographing the life in the windows of a neighbouring house. One day, her photograph captures an intimate encounter between Zoya and her married lover. Vika decides to blackmail the unfaithful man. With the help of some private detectives he easily tracks down the mysterious blackmailer. However, the fear of being disclosed forces him to break up with Zoya. Gradually Zoya and Vika become close and Vika talks her new friend into taking revenge on her ex-lover.
Click here for a review and here for to see the Russian trailer
creators
Marina Liubakova
Director
Born in 1964, Marina Liubakova began her career in TV and documentary filmmaking, working for some of the leading national TV channels - NTV and ‘1'. She made her first short film ‘Chase' in 1994. ‘Cruelty' is her debut feature film.
Pavel Lungin
Producer
Born in Moscow in 1949, Lungin studied linguistics and graduated from the Philology Department of the University of Moscow. In 1980 he also finished the Higher Courses of Direction and Scriptwriting. 1990 saw his debut as a director and scriptwriter with the film ‘Taxi Blues', and the film received an award for its direction at Cannes International Film Festival. After living in Paris for two decades and making several Russo-French co-productions, Lungin returned to Russia, where he opened a production studio.
actors
Renata Litvinova (Zoya)
In 1989, she graduated from the National Institute of Cinematography's Scriptwriting Department. She has written scripts for many films, including ‘The Non-Love' (1991), ‘Three Stories (Ophelia Episode)' (1997, dir. Kira Muratova), ‘Sky. Plane. Girl' (2002, dir. Vera Storozheva), which she also coproduced. With her unique personality and manner of expression, Renata is one of the most controversial and talked-about figures in the contemporary Russian cultural scene. Her indisputable talent finds expression in various forms from scriptwriting, acting and directing, to hosting TV shows and awards ceremonies.
Anna Begunova (Vika)
Born in 1986 in Siberia, Anna graduated from Moscow Arts Theatre Acting school in 2006. She is already renowned for her performances in ‘Romeo and Juliette' (Pushkin's Theatre, Moscow), and ‘Don't Part With Your Beloved' (Moscow Arts Theatre). Her cinematic work includes ‘Escape' by Egor Konchslovksy and ‘Cruelty'.
Back to the main programme at the Russian Film Festival 2008