The dramatic truth about the backstage of the Bolshoi Theater

MOSCOW. The limited release came out with a documentary of Marc Franchetti and Nick Reed about the Bolshoi Theater.

The premiere of the film “Big Babylon” would not have taken place without the desire of the Sunday Times correspondent Mark Franchetti, who has worked for many years in Russia, and his co-director Nick Read to make a frank film about the life of the main theater of the country and the unprecedented decision of the Bolshoi leadership open its doors to foreign journalists, and ultimately to the audience. Permission to shoot was obtained with the former director. After the arrests in the case of the attempt on Filin and the resignation of Iksanov, the work was interrupted and resumed under Urin. Communication with the new CEO turned out to be just as constructive.

Franchetti and Reed were allowed to film everything they deem necessary, without looking at the finished material, subsequent censorship and fear of inevitable criticism. The parties agreed only that access to the inside of the theater should not be a reason for juggling or undeserved accusations. According to Franchetti, in any other theater of this level, such openness seems impossible. Before us is the backstage without retouching, with serious injuries, intrigues, conflict between the main figures of the theater. The absence of an off-screen text allows us to draw independent conclusions about the episodes filmed at the troupe’s meetings, exhausting rehearsals, interviews with artists, theater workers arrested in the resonance case by Pavel Dmitrichenko. The story of the main choreographer who has been the victim of an attempt assumes new, no less dramatic aspects. It is enough to see the frames testifying to the long-standing conflict between Urin and Filin, which is being put on public display. In the film by Dinara Asanova, “The Key Without the Right to Transfer,” the school director utters very wise words about the inadmissibility of discussing officers with equal rank in the presence of soldiers. In the communication of the main charismatic personalities for the theater, this principle did not work.

Despite dozens of undercurrents, fierce competition, well-known and silent tragedies, and at times chaos, the principle of the show, which continues in any situation, is always observed. Even if the heavens collapse.

Each film by Franchetti becomes a resonant event. Be it a picture of the hostage-taking in the Nord-Ost, the killers serving sentences in prison, the merciless Italian mafia or Berlusconi. Big Babylon will not be an exception. It is a pity that out of 130 shot hours, only 85 minutes entered the final version. Outside the picture, a lot remained, including the most interesting conversations with Grigorovich.

Elena Tanakova © Gallerix.ru