- Occupation
Director - Country
Russia
Kostomarov Pavel
Two Together
A film about loving relationship between a married couple with artistic leanings. Lyudmila and Vladimir have lived and worked together for decades. Set apart from the surrounding world, their small house is filled with their drawings and wooden sculptures inspired by Celtic art and reminiscent of the works of these natural people. The artwork even has its own room in the house, which the couple regularly visit with emotions bordering on religious awe. Kostomarov’s film reveals an exceptional feeling for the poetic, sometimes almost lyrical, portrayal of what appears to be everyday life. With the help of sensitive camerawork, the director manages to imbue the cheerful story of Vladimir’s bohemian youth and shots of Lyudmila’s solicitous care for her beloved husband with an uncommonly intimate atmosphere, thus offering the viewer a documentary poem about one possible form of eternal love.
The Mother
Liouba escaped from her violent husband with all her 9 children. She raises them along with her daughter Alesia on a farm in Russia where they both work. They devote all their overwhelming love to their maternal instincts. They take in a hungry little boy, three-year old Sacha, the son of another girl working on the farm. Liouba and Alesia belong to those people who sacrifice themselves in the name of their love. Liouba and especially Alesia are still hoping to find a good husband. So the search for a husband ends up in a struggle to kick out a parasite. Antoine Cattin is born in 1975 in Saignelégier. In 2001 he receives degree from the University of Lausanne. Worked in Russia as assistant director to S. Loznitsa. Filmography: ‘The Mother’ (2007 ), ‘Vivre en paix ‘ (2004), ‘Transformator’ (2003) – all as co-director, all documentaries.
Living in Peace
The war has been going on in Chechnya since December 11th, 1994. Sultan's wife was killed and his house was destroyed. With his son Apti, he escaped to the Russian countryside where he is trying to start a new life. If the father can keep his integrity till the end, what will happen to his son, a young Chechen refugee on the enemy's territory? Should he become friend with the young Russian going to war to Chechnya? Try to integrate in a society with no future and rejecting him, or go back to his country destroyed by war?
The Transformer
On the way from Moscow to St.-Petersburg a huge electrical transformer fell off the truck. For 3 never ending months the hero has to watch over that 250 tons giant.
I Love You
Pavel Kostomarov and Alexander Rastorguev join forces in this modern experiment, in search of a new film language and new methods. There are three stories of three young male friends from Rostov-on-Don. The authors were casted from fifty open-minded non-professionals who would not be scared to use a camera themselves and who could record their own lives while being totally natural. The directors have chosen those real life stories of people who were interlinked with one another and built up a mosaic of their life episodes, with love as the leitmotief. The result is a fascinating melodramatic story using the dynamics and language of YouTube. It also is an inexpensive movie of the collegial authorship that marks the contemporary era.
I Don't Love You
A girl had a videocamera. She was filming her life. That girl loved a guy. But she left him for another one. When everything seemed to be fine, she turned back to the first guy. Because what that girl is most afraid of is to loose the feeling of love.
Playback
Almost 75 years of age, Alexei German is one of the greatest living Russian directors. He is well-known not only for his despotic behaviour on set, but also for his incredible precision. Perhaps this is also the reason he has only made four films to date (e.g. My Friend Ivan Lapshin and Khrustalyov, My Car!). Production on his latest film, this time based on the novel by the Strugatsky brothers, Hard to Be God (Trudno byt bogom), has been ongoing for more than ten years. Directing duo Cattin and Kostomarov (The Mother – screened at Karlovy Vary in 2008) were given permission to move about freely on set with two cameras while German was shooting his film, and during breaks they talked to the man himself. This suggestive glimpse into a specific environment with its own rules, from which the filmmakers were able to capture the essence of truth during the creative process, is a portrait not only of a celebrated and uncompromising artist, but of his country as well. [KVIFF]
A film about loving relationship between a married couple with artistic leanings. Lyudmila and Vladimir have lived and worked together for decades. Set apart from the surrounding world, their small house is filled with their drawings and wooden sculptures inspired by Celtic art and reminiscent of the works of these natural people. The artwork even has its own room in the house, which the couple regularly visit with emotions bordering on religious awe. Kostomarov’s film reveals an exceptional feeling for the poetic, sometimes almost lyrical, portrayal of what appears to be everyday life. With the help of sensitive camerawork, the director manages to imbue the cheerful story of Vladimir’s bohemian youth and shots of Lyudmila’s solicitous care for her beloved husband with an uncommonly intimate atmosphere, thus offering the viewer a documentary poem about one possible form of eternal love.
The Mother
Liouba escaped from her violent husband with all her 9 children. She raises them along with her daughter Alesia on a farm in Russia where they both work. They devote all their overwhelming love to their maternal instincts. They take in a hungry little boy, three-year old Sacha, the son of another girl working on the farm. Liouba and Alesia belong to those people who sacrifice themselves in the name of their love. Liouba and especially Alesia are still hoping to find a good husband. So the search for a husband ends up in a struggle to kick out a parasite. Antoine Cattin is born in 1975 in Saignelégier. In 2001 he receives degree from the University of Lausanne. Worked in Russia as assistant director to S. Loznitsa. Filmography: ‘The Mother’ (2007 ), ‘Vivre en paix ‘ (2004), ‘Transformator’ (2003) – all as co-director, all documentaries.
Living in Peace
The war has been going on in Chechnya since December 11th, 1994. Sultan's wife was killed and his house was destroyed. With his son Apti, he escaped to the Russian countryside where he is trying to start a new life. If the father can keep his integrity till the end, what will happen to his son, a young Chechen refugee on the enemy's territory? Should he become friend with the young Russian going to war to Chechnya? Try to integrate in a society with no future and rejecting him, or go back to his country destroyed by war?
The Transformer
On the way from Moscow to St.-Petersburg a huge electrical transformer fell off the truck. For 3 never ending months the hero has to watch over that 250 tons giant.
I Love You
Pavel Kostomarov and Alexander Rastorguev join forces in this modern experiment, in search of a new film language and new methods. There are three stories of three young male friends from Rostov-on-Don. The authors were casted from fifty open-minded non-professionals who would not be scared to use a camera themselves and who could record their own lives while being totally natural. The directors have chosen those real life stories of people who were interlinked with one another and built up a mosaic of their life episodes, with love as the leitmotief. The result is a fascinating melodramatic story using the dynamics and language of YouTube. It also is an inexpensive movie of the collegial authorship that marks the contemporary era.
I Don't Love You
A girl had a videocamera. She was filming her life. That girl loved a guy. But she left him for another one. When everything seemed to be fine, she turned back to the first guy. Because what that girl is most afraid of is to loose the feeling of love.
Playback
Almost 75 years of age, Alexei German is one of the greatest living Russian directors. He is well-known not only for his despotic behaviour on set, but also for his incredible precision. Perhaps this is also the reason he has only made four films to date (e.g. My Friend Ivan Lapshin and Khrustalyov, My Car!). Production on his latest film, this time based on the novel by the Strugatsky brothers, Hard to Be God (Trudno byt bogom), has been ongoing for more than ten years. Directing duo Cattin and Kostomarov (The Mother – screened at Karlovy Vary in 2008) were given permission to move about freely on set with two cameras while German was shooting his film, and during breaks they talked to the man himself. This suggestive glimpse into a specific environment with its own rules, from which the filmmakers were able to capture the essence of truth during the creative process, is a portrait not only of a celebrated and uncompromising artist, but of his country as well. [KVIFF]
ZIP Cities
Pavel Kostomarov is experimenting with the fabric of a movie. He calls this style Zip Movie. He travels to NY, Tallinn, Jihlava, Lyon, Berlin…. "To make a long story short, it is a total hunting for the reality. Archiving the reality. Turn on/turn off - shots in all directions: shots of breathing in; shots of breathing out, shots of flickering, shots of flashes, shots of blinks. I would like to know if these letters and syllables will construct a sentence. If this alphabet full of energy is able to convey poetic vision of my universe. I call this experiment ZIP-MOVIE. ZIP-MOVIE is like this: SEE - FEEL - CATCH IT LIKE ONE CATCHES A BUTTERFLY with one movement of a net (Canon MarkII). Then put it into the pocket without stopping life which is so volatile and long, even longer than one shot."
The Term/Srok
Vladimir Putin's new presidential term began in May 2012. Six months before that Putin's stability has expired. All central places of Moscow became the eyes of the political maelstrom. We record the thoughts and emotions of the protest leaders. We want to understand where they lead us.
Pavel Kostomarov is experimenting with the fabric of a movie. He calls this style Zip Movie. He travels to NY, Tallinn, Jihlava, Lyon, Berlin…. "To make a long story short, it is a total hunting for the reality. Archiving the reality. Turn on/turn off - shots in all directions: shots of breathing in; shots of breathing out, shots of flickering, shots of flashes, shots of blinks. I would like to know if these letters and syllables will construct a sentence. If this alphabet full of energy is able to convey poetic vision of my universe. I call this experiment ZIP-MOVIE. ZIP-MOVIE is like this: SEE - FEEL - CATCH IT LIKE ONE CATCHES A BUTTERFLY with one movement of a net (Canon MarkII). Then put it into the pocket without stopping life which is so volatile and long, even longer than one shot."
The Term/Srok
Vladimir Putin's new presidential term began in May 2012. Six months before that Putin's stability has expired. All central places of Moscow became the eyes of the political maelstrom. We record the thoughts and emotions of the protest leaders. We want to understand where they lead us.
Pavel Kostomarov was born in 1975, Moscow. From 1992 to 1996, he studied engineering at the Institute of Biology in Moscow. In 2002 he graduated from the State Film Institute (VGIK) as a cinematographer. He has worked on a number of films as a cinematographer with directors Sergey Loznitsa, Victor Asliuk, Alexey Uchitel and Alexey Popogrebsky. Filmography (director): The Transformer (2003, Best Documentary at the Tampere ISFF); Life in Peace (2004, Silver Dove at DOK Leipzig, Silver Dragon for Best Documentary at the 45th Krakow FF); Mother (2007), all co-directed with Antoine Cattin; Two Together (2009); I Love You (2010, co-directed with Alexander Rastorguev).
Cinematographer:
'How I ended this summer' / fiction (2010, director – Alexey Popogrebsky);
'La mere' / documentary (2007, directors – Antoine Cattin, Pavel Kostomarov);
'Simple things' (2007, director – Alexey Popogrebsky);
'Tender’s Hit: Wild, Wild Beach' / documentary (2006, directors – Alexander Rastorguev, Vitaly Mansky);
'Peaceful life' / documentary short (2004, directors – Antoine Cattin, Pavel Kostomarov);
'The Landscape' / documentary (2003, director – Sergey Loznitsa);
'The Walk' / fiction (2003, director – Alexey Uchitel);
'Transformator' / documentary (2003 - Antoine Cattin, Pavel Kostomarov).
Director:
'La mere' / documentary (2007, directors – Antoine Cattin, Pavel Kostomarov);
'Peaceful life' / documentary short (2004, directors – Antoine Cattin, Pavel Kostomarov);
'Trnmsformator' / documentary (2003 - Antoine Cattin, Pavel Kostomarov).
Docu Talents from the East 2010 - 2010
Project Market - 2012
Tampere International Short Film Festival – Best Movie (2004); The International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film / DOK Leipzig - 'Silver Pigeon' (2004); 'Best East Europe Movie' (2007); Cracow Film Festival (Poland) – Silver Dragon for the best documentary (2005); Silver Bear for his camerawork in 'Kak ya provel etim letom' ('How I Ended This Summer') by Alexei Popogrebsky (2010).