- Occupation
Director - Country
Belarus
Khashchavatski Yury
Lobotomy
Lobotomy is Yuri Khashchavatski's personal indictment of the Russian media's brainwashing tactics. Taking the recent war between Russia and Georgia as a point of departure, he illustrates how far removed actual events were from the conflict as it was reported on Russian state television. The director's own voice drives the argument, but journalists, military experts and politicians also have their say. The film intersperses interviews (live or via Skype) with archive footage that is, in turn, contrasted with amateur clips found on the Internet. Khashchavatski contends that "Montage is a powerful and insidious weapon." And he would be the one to know, because in addition to directing the film, he also edited it and its highly effective audio mix. He is a master of the art of irony as well. This personal account by the director suggests that the Russian state is not being governed according to democratic principles, but by a Mafia-style hierarchy.
Kalinovski Square
A docu-comedy about life in Belarus before and after the President elections where Lukashenko created his victory with almost 83% of the votes. With his astonishing material Belarus' most celebrated film director Khashchavatski speaks out about resistance and persecution, displaying an overwhelming will for freedom. This film is director's long-standing and personally dangerous conflict with president Lukashenko. Authorities have persecuted him already since his first film on the subject - An Ordinary President (1996). They still watch him. All production was done underground.
Russian Luck
"We didn't want a political film, not a film about great social problems, but a film about the ordinary, daily life in the Russian country." Says filmmaker Yury Khashchavatski, who portrays the solitary farmer Wassili Kurgusow. This man is living in a secluded mill, owns two cows and four bulls, is a born dreamer, writes poems and is looking for a wife. The film follows the contact he has with Schura, a woman living in a nearby town. Will it result in a romance? In any event, it will not be Juri Khashchavatski's fault, for he arranges meetings between the two and aims for a happy ending for his film. This manipulation of reality led to controversial reactions at festivals where the film was screened. However, Khashchavatski feels that his approach may help to advance the documentary as a genre. Just like feature films, documentaries benefit from a good scenario, adapted to the characters. If the documentary evolves in this direction, a bright future awaits it, according to Khashchavatski.
Lobotomy is Yuri Khashchavatski's personal indictment of the Russian media's brainwashing tactics. Taking the recent war between Russia and Georgia as a point of departure, he illustrates how far removed actual events were from the conflict as it was reported on Russian state television. The director's own voice drives the argument, but journalists, military experts and politicians also have their say. The film intersperses interviews (live or via Skype) with archive footage that is, in turn, contrasted with amateur clips found on the Internet. Khashchavatski contends that "Montage is a powerful and insidious weapon." And he would be the one to know, because in addition to directing the film, he also edited it and its highly effective audio mix. He is a master of the art of irony as well. This personal account by the director suggests that the Russian state is not being governed according to democratic principles, but by a Mafia-style hierarchy.
Kalinovski Square
A docu-comedy about life in Belarus before and after the President elections where Lukashenko created his victory with almost 83% of the votes. With his astonishing material Belarus' most celebrated film director Khashchavatski speaks out about resistance and persecution, displaying an overwhelming will for freedom. This film is director's long-standing and personally dangerous conflict with president Lukashenko. Authorities have persecuted him already since his first film on the subject - An Ordinary President (1996). They still watch him. All production was done underground.
Russian Luck
"We didn't want a political film, not a film about great social problems, but a film about the ordinary, daily life in the Russian country." Says filmmaker Yury Khashchavatski, who portrays the solitary farmer Wassili Kurgusow. This man is living in a secluded mill, owns two cows and four bulls, is a born dreamer, writes poems and is looking for a wife. The film follows the contact he has with Schura, a woman living in a nearby town. Will it result in a romance? In any event, it will not be Juri Khashchavatski's fault, for he arranges meetings between the two and aims for a happy ending for his film. This manipulation of reality led to controversial reactions at festivals where the film was screened. However, Khashchavatski feels that his approach may help to advance the documentary as a genre. Just like feature films, documentaries benefit from a good scenario, adapted to the characters. If the documentary evolves in this direction, a bright future awaits it, according to Khashchavatski.
Belarusian director, born October 18, 1947 in Odessa. Filmography:
This silent life in Glubokoye (1985) - documentary, 20’.
Grand-Prix of the All-Union film festival in Kiev 1985.
Returning to Khatyn (1985) - film-performance, 130’.
The obstinate person (1986) - documentary, 20’.
Here there was Krylov (1986) - documentary, 30’.
Grand-Prix and a prize of criticism of the All-Union film festival in Minsk 1987.
Travellers (1986) - documentary, 30’.
Recruits (1987) - feature, 60’.
Look at the house (1987) - documentary, 52’.
The formula of acceleration (1987) - documentary, 30’.
Masters and assistants (1988) – documentary, 52’
The Counter-claim (1988) - documentary, 52’.
Grand-Prix " The Gold centaur” international movie festival “Missive to a man” St.-Petersburg, 1989.
A highway (1989) - documentary, 52’.
In the sky on a wheel (1989) - documentary, 30’.
Who today is absent (1990) - feature, 60’.
The lift for the intermediate person (1991) - multiseries, feature, 180’.
Orange waistcoats (1991) - documentary, 52’.
Everything’s fine (1992) - documentary, 96’.
Grand-Prix international cinema festival in Munich in 1993. Premium CIVIC in Germany in 1995.
Russian happiness (1992) - documentary, 52’.
A prize of a broadcasting company "Ostankino" for the best television film and a prize of jury international cinema festival in Ekaterinburg in 1992. Diploma GOLDEN GATE AWARD in San Francisco in 1998.
Passions on Maryanna (1993) - documentary, 52.
c (1994) - documentary, 52.
Oasis (1995) - documentary, 52’(upon ARTE order)
Aword of the jury of the international cinema festival of ecological films, Friburg, 1996.
An echo of silence (1996) - documentary, 15’.
The ordinary president (1996) - documentary, 52’.
“Cinema award of Peace” of the Berlin international cinema festival (forum) in 1997, the premium of the Union of writers of the Russian Federation A.D.Saharova's of name in 1997, Grand-Prix international cinema festival Human Rights W. In New York in 1998, the Prize of jury of festival in Novorossiysk, Diploma GOLDEN GATE AWARD in San Francisco in 1998.
Time of Chjou Enlay (1998) – documentary, 52’
Gods of Sickle and Hammer (2000) - documentary, 52’ (upon ARTE order)
To live up to love (2001) - documentary, 52’.
The Caucasian captives (2002) - documentary, 52’ (upon ARTE order)
Grand-Prix international cinema festival Human Rights W. In Geneva in 2004
Svjatoslav Feodors. A life after death (2002) - documentary, 52’.
The sacred doctor (2002) - documentary, 52’.
A prize of Euro-Asian of television academy in 2003.
The solar clown (2003) - documentary, 52’ (upon ARTE order)
The eighth continent (2004) - documentary, 3 series on 52’ (upon ARTE order)
More alive, than all alive (2006) - documentary, 52’.
Kalinouski Square (2007) - documentary, 80’
Yuri Khashchavatski (1947) is an award-winning Belarus filmmaker. He has directed more than 20 films, both features and documentaries.
Filmorgraphy & Awards:
KALINOVSKI SQUARE (2007) - Alpe Adria Cinema prize as the BEST DOCUMENRARY, 19th Trieste Film Festival 2008; The Award Ion Vatamanu “For love of truth and freedom”, 7-th International Documentary Film Festival CRONOGRAF, Chisinau 2008; Best Documentary by Novoje Kino.21 Vek, N.Novgorod; PRISONERS OF THE CAUCAUSES (2002); GODS OF HAMMER AND SICKLE (2000); AN ORDINARY PRESIDENT (1996) – “Golden Gate Award” in San-Francisco, Grand-Prix of the Human Rights Watch in New York, ”Cinema Award of Peace” Berlin International Cinema Festival (Forum), Sakharov’s Award of the Russian Union of Writers “April”, Moscow; OAZIS (1996, co-production with Goethe Institute) – Jury Award of the International Cinema Festival of Ecological Films, Freeburg; RUSSIAN HAPPINESS (1992) - “Golden Gate Award”, San Francisco; EVERYTHING’S FINE (1991) – Grand-Prix of the International Film Festival, Munich; COUNTER-CLAIM (1989) – (together with A.Ruderman ) – Grand-Prix “Zolotoi Kentavr”, International Film Festival ‘Message to a Man”, St.Petersburg, 1989
Everything’s fine (1992) - documentary, 96’
Grand-Prix international cinema festival in Munich in 1993. Premium CIVIC in Germany in 1995
Russian happiness (1992) - documentary, 52’
Diploma GOLDEN GATE AWARD in San Francisco in 1998
The Caucasian captives (2002) - documentary, 52’ (upon ARTE order)
Grand-Prix international cinema festival Human Rights W. In Geneva in 2004