‘People do want to make movies – they even do it on their own money or on parents’ money’
The organization of the Muslim cinema festival will cost about 12 million rubles
In Tatarstan, the Year of Russian cinema is celebrated by updating the material-technical base in the regional cinemas, new contests for writers and 8.8 million rubles allocated for the film industry. Despite the fact that the country cannot boast the rapid development of the film industry yet. But there is the confidence that soon everything will change thanks to the active youth and… the national identity. The correspondents of Realnoe Vremya found out what is happening in Tatarstan cinematography, and where the Union of cinematographers will find their home.
To Moscow, following Yakutia
Every year there are more and more talks about the formation and development of cinematography in Tatarstan. In the Republic there are young people being able to do something, the backbone of the older generation has already formed that never stops to win several awards at festivals. However, we have to state the fact that the cinema is developing very slowly, largely due to the lack of funding for projects in this region and scarce material and technical base.
The chairperson of the Committee of RT State Council for education, culture, science and national issues Razil Valeyev opened the press conference devoted to the Year of Russian cinema by saying that Tatarstan has actively developed and is developing literature, music, art. 'But, unfortunately, I can't brag and be proud of that our filmmakers are known far beyond the Republic of Tatarstan'.
This year it was allocated more than 60 million rubles for the film industry in the Republic of Tatarstan – it is the total amount that is divided for the organization of 46 major events and film releases, as well as the purchase and equipping of state and municipal cinemas. There are 15 cinemas in the Republic, the cinema Mir is the only state one in Kazan.
Apparently, inspired by the experience of Yakutia, where the cinematography is developing, from 2013, Tatarstan, at the expense of the Republican budget, started to send two or three students to Moscow for training every year. Besides, Tatarstan film directors and actors have the opportunity to enter the Academy of Nikita Mikhalkov on a budgetary place, but not at the expense of the Republican budget but at the expense of Timchenko Fund.
Not much, but systematically
In 2016, it was allocated 8.8 million rubles for the film production from the budget of the Republic. According to the Deputy Minister of Culture of Tatarstan Guzel Sharipova, soon it is to be announced competitions to make one feature film and six documentaries for the filmmakers of Tatarstan. Also, the funds have been allocated for the creation of one feature film and two animated movies and one TV movie in the framework of the state programme of preservation and development of state languages of the Republic of Tatarstan.
However, according to a film director Ildar Yagafarov, in order to create one good feature length film, it is needed at least 5 million rubles. In order to develop a film industry, it is necessary about 100 million rubles for the film production. The director believes that first it is needed to spend at least 30-40 million per year. As a positive example of the development of the film industry — Yakutia.
'Although Razil Ismagilovich said that meager amounts are allocated for us, we must admit that practically to all regions in the Russian Federation they are not being allocated at all. You have told about Yakutia – it is a good example and in that case the thing is really in the national cinematography and money. Bashkortostan has one presidential grant in the year, we have funds that are allocated systematically and annually. Last year in total it was allocated 27 million rubles during the year on the production of fictions, documentaries, animation films,' said Guzel Sharipova. As an example, she said about short films by Salavat Yuzeyev, which were filmed at 1.2 million rubles, the film by Alexei Barykin 'Family troubles', which was filmed for slightly more than 1 million rubles.
'There are very unusual proposals. People call from villages, from other cities...'
Just before the new 2016 year, Ildar Yagafarov became a chairperson of the Union of cinematographers of Tatarstan. Before, the Union consisted of 39 members, now their number has grown to 45. The director thanked those 39 for the support.
According to him, the first thing after his accession to the office in the Union they developed the development programme for Tatarstan cinematography and began to solve the issue with the premises — the Union of cinematographers of Tatarstan still has no central office. As Yagafarov told to Realnoe Vremya, most likely, the organization will find their home in the premises on the territory of Tatarkino, but it is too early to say about the deadlines – the director frankly admitted that he was afraid to jinx it.
The chairperson of the Union of cinematographers of Tatarstan has highlighted a few critical moments in their work. First, the Union needs to rejuvenate. 'Now, probably in all fields of art there is a youth that needs help. A new wave has come and this wave need to be trained in a systematic way. People do want to make movies — they do it on their own money, on money of parents, find it somewhere,' says the director. The Union has established a youth sector, which includes 40 people, the head is Kuzma Morozov.
Yagafarov noted that youth movies are homemade, but among them there are very worthwhile works — they need help and to be sent to major Russian film festivals. Now in the Union under the guidance of another director of the Tatarstan Mansur Gilyazov, there has been created the Scenario Fund and they receive three or four scenarios and a lot of calls per day from those wishing to shoot a feature length film.
'There are very unusual proposals. They call from villages, from other cities – from Chelny, Almetyevsk, — ask for help.' According to him, now they have four scenarios, which can be shot and have box-office success. The Ministry of Culture, in its turn, announced a competition for writers. According to Sharipov, if there are worthy ideas and a film crew is formed – they will turn to the regional leadership for additional funding. Funds have been allocated for 'Kurban-Roman' by Salavat Yuzeyev that way.'
Yagafarov is planning to develop the activity of the Union of cinematographers. According to him, he has two ready-made scripts laying in front of him, but the shooting will begin only after there will be a sponsor: he doesn't want to take the bread out of young directors' mouths, who is going to participate in the regional competitions.
The vector on nationality
In addition to the emphasis on young people, Yagafarov suggested Tatarstan cinema to change direction on nationality.
'If to speak about cinematography in Russia in general, we still have only one niche – it is our national cinema, because Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities have talented directors who make movies much better than ours. And when we are on the list to make the same movies, we will take last places. Of course, there can be the talent, the highlight, but for that, you must work methodically. I believe that our national cinema should turn to our classics, contemporary plays, to our writers, who write about us — not about the Tatars but about the Republic.'
They are planning to film in the Republic the play by Tufan Minnullin 'Mullah' and a comedy project 'The Kazan guys'. It may also be implemented own philosophical Tatar project of Yagafarov 'Boat' and a pilot project, which will be shown twice a week on TNV. The essence of program is that there they will discuss everything related to the cinema. Now the project faces a lack of funding.
Razil Valeyev: 'If we imagine the Russian cinema in the form of Volga — we are still engaged in coastal water protection zones, we are still only on the shore of the large Volga of the Russian cinema art'
Among the innovations in the field of Tatar film industry — the inclusion in the register of Russian film festivals of the International Festival of Muslim Cinema. At the moment, according to Sharipova, it is expected the decision on the federal co-financing of the festival. As the Deputy Minister later said Realnoe Vremya, this year the organization of the festival will need about 12 million rubles – the same amount was spent last year.
In general, the speakers are confident that we are now witnessing a new stage of development of the film industry in Tatarstan — the beginning of its development.
'In Russia it is the Year of Cinema, and in Tatarstan – the Year of the water protection zones. If we imagine the Russian cinema in the form of Volga — we are still engaged in coastal water protection zones, we are still only on the shore of the large Volga of the Russian cinema art. We need to sail to it and go along with this great film art,' metaphorically noticed Valeyev.