Franz+Polina by Mikhail Segal

We are delighted to invite you to watch the film “Franz + Polina” on the eve of the outbreak of the Great Patriotic war in Soviet Union 79 years ago and meet with its director Mikhail Segal who kindly agreed to address our questions. Some of you had the pleasure of meeting Mikhail in March 2013 when he came to Cambridge to read his stories and sing his songs to CamRuSS members and friends. Some others might have had an opportunity to watch  his latest film “Elephants Can Play Football” which was screened in Arts Picturehouse during the Russian Film Week in Cambridge in November 2018.

LANGUAGE: Russian with English translation
TICKETS: free*

You may watch the FILM in advance (in Russian with English subtitles).
The TRAILER.
Making of the film documentary (in Russian and German)

Photo courtesy of Mikhail Segal

Mikhail Segal is a Russian film director and writer, known by his films “Franz+Polina”, “Short Stories”, “Film about Alekseyev”, “Elephants Can Play Football”, and his collections of short stories such as “Youth”, “Short Stories”, “Handwriting”. He also composes music and write songs, including for his own films. Currently, Mikhail is working on his latest film, “Deeper” due to come out later this year.

In 2006, at XXVIII Moscow International Film Festival, Mikhail presented his first full-length film “Franz+Polina” interpreting the narrative “Deaf mute” written by Ales Adamovich. The love story of a Belorussian girl from an occupied village and of an SS soldier “has crossed the world” and got recognition at many Russian and international festivals (in Germany, France, Poland, Canada, China, and other countries).

Selected festivals and prizes

• 2006 – Participant of XVIII Moscow International Film Festival (Russia)
• 2006 – Prize-winner XVI Cottbus International Film Festival, (Germany)
• 2006 – Participant of Russian Cinema Week, Paris (France) and Berlin (Germany)
• 2006 – Official participant, XVI Camerimage International Film Festival, Łódź, (Poland)
• 2006 – Grand Prix and Best Female Performance Award, S. F. Bondarchuk Military-Patriotic Film Festival “Volokolamsk Line” 2006 (Russia)
• 2006 – Special Jury Diploma and Best Female Performance Award, XV International Film Festival “Kinopoisk”, Anapa (Russia)
• 2007 – Best Principal Female Role and Best Episodic Female Role awards, Dramatic Art Festival “Constellation”, Tver’ (Russia)
• 2006 – Special Jury Award “Baltic Debuts”, International Film Festival, Svetlogorsk (Russia)
• 2006 – Best Debut and Best Photography awards, “Listapad” Film Festival”, Minsk (Belarus)
• 2007 – Grand Prix for best film, 21st Cabourg Film Festival (France)
• 2007 – Grand Prix for the Best Film and the Best Music Award, 20th FIPA Festival Biarritz (France)
• 2007 – FIPRESCI prize, International Film Festival “Cinema-Tout-Ecran”, Geneve (Switzerland)
• 2007 – Best Male Performance, “13th Shanghai TV Festival”, Shanghai (China)
• 2007 – Official participant of the World Film Festival Montreal (Canada)
• 2007 – Award for best direction, “Viva Cinema of Russia!” Film Festival, St. Petersburg (Russia)
• 2007 – P. Lebeshev award for the best pictorial realization, International Film Festival “Spirit of Fire”, Khanty-Mansiysk (Russia)

*there is no charge for this meeting, but we would welcome any donation you wish to make towards support of our efforts in bringing more speakers and online event during the lockdown and social distancing time. Suggested donation £5.

You can send your donation by a direct bank transfer (BACS) to the following account:
Cambridge Russian-Speaking Society.
NATWEST Bank. Sort code: 60-11-30. Account: 18120466

Please email camruss@camruss.com if you have any questions.

FEEDBACK.

Ekaterina: Oгромная благодарность. Великолепный фильм, прелестный режиссер с прекрасныи чувством юмора. Мне очень понравилось.

Maria: Thank you Yelena and all of you for such a nice meeting. I basically understood everything but cannot express myself well in Russian. The film is superb and Mikhail is a young director with great future. Look forward to more session like this. P.S. if the film is available on a DVD as I would gladly purchase it.

Jane: I did manage to watch the film earlier today – it was amazingly good… Congratulations to the Director, it was brilliantly made.

Marina: большое спасибо Михаилу и организаторам!

Olga: Благодарю Михаила и организаторов за интересную и информативную встречу. Ждём сериал.

Gulya : Spasibo Michailu I organizatoram!!!)))

Olga: Огромное спасибо Михаилу за глубочайший потрясающий фильм и организаторам за вечер!!

ASTRID: Спасибо большое Михаилу и организаторам. Фильм мне очень понравился. Спасибо, что у меня была эта возможность.

Boris: Спасибо огромное!

Elena : Thank you SO much dear Mikhail! xx

Марина: БОЛЬШОЕ СПАСИБО ВСЕМ!

Diana: Спасибо за интересный вечер!

Stephen: Спасибо и пока!