Anton Lapenko tested for masculinity in the cinema

At the 1st International Film Festival of Debut Films of the Eurasian Continent “One Sixth”, which ended in Yekaterinburg, Maxim Kulagin’s film “In a Man’s Way” became the best Russian feature debut. The main role in it was played by Anton Lapenko.

It is surprising that this unsophisticated and simple picture, in which there is nothing innovative, excited the audience and professional filmmakers, the international jury, which included representatives from Iran, South Korea and Italy, one representative from Kyrgyzstan and Russian actress Yulia Snigir. But against the backdrop of feminist sentiments, the theme of male identity sparkled with new colors. It turned out that she occupies the minds of the strong half of humanity, which has recently been pushed into the category of the weaker sex.

A quite ordinary 35-year-old businessman lives in the world, which in this context is not so important. Gleb is a cultured, successful, delicate representative of a new generation of business people, not a bandit. He has a beautiful wife from the provinces (played by Ekaterina Shcherbakova), a large country house and a completely ordinary prosperous life. On weekends, friends come to see my wife, who have not everything so great and many problems. Everything would have turned out well if, on one not the best day, a tipsy neighbor had not shown up and thrown a garbage bag into the garden. Breakdowns have begun. The guy hit Gleb’s wife, but he could not smack him like a man in order to protect his beloved woman. He is used to acting in the legal field, and life has thrown a situation that requires a lively reaction. A worthless trash bag derailed a well-established life.

Gleb will go to the offender and try to explain himself. A sober neighbor is a completely normal guy, and his wife is pretty. And this is another obstacle on the way to decisive action. A man’s act, capable of resolving a lot without further ado, remains unclaimed. We are trying to assess the masculinity of men. And they have a counter question: “Which women are nearby?”. “They kicked me in the face, but you didn’t stand up,” says the wife. But she’s a provocateur.”

Film screenwriter Denis Kulagin turned out to be the brother of director Maxim Kulagin. He told MK about curious details:

– The script was written for the director, my brother Maxim Kulagin. It is based on personal experience, although no one beat my wife. However, the situation was difficult. I, like the hero of Anton Lapenko, did not talk to her about this topic. Only when I wrote the script, we discussed everything with my wife. I didn’t act like a man either. The problem with this couple is that they don’t know how to talk to each other. And the hero’s problem is that he cannot accept himself as he is. Gleb cannot come to an agreement with himself and kills with a stone not a neighbor and his wife’s offender, but his own cowardice.

– When the script was born, the participation of a particular director was assumed. Was Anton Lapenko taken into account?

– There was no specific actor in my head when the script was written, but when Anton Lapenko, whom we know, appeared, the entire cast began to line up under one star. We took risks. There were doubts, but after the first scene they were dispelled. Anton on the network gives the impression of a very correct person. Everyone is used to seeing him in comedy roles. And we gave him the opportunity to reveal himself in a dramatic role. He is often offered roles “from Lapenko”. He is tired of them. And then there was a chance to play a serious role, affecting the topic of modern masculinity, the code of honor of a man.

We won’t see the beating scenes. They stay behind the scenes. Denis Kulagin says: “We are not ready to show senseless footage of cruelty.” But that doesn’t make it any easier. What is happening is meaningless, merciless, wild. Surely, there will be viewers who will reproach the authors for setting a bad example.

There is a version with and without mat. The first, according to producer Mikhail Marizov, is the best, closer to life. “Many companies looked at the picture, including Netflix. But everyone left after what happened, we were left alone,” he says.

In addition to the film “In a Man’s Way”, the jury noted the Kazakhstani film “Otau” (“Household”) by Alisher Zhadigerov as the “Best International Feature Debut”. about a guy who steals cattle before joining the army in order to buy his father a car and thereby provide for his life during his absence. The Grand Prix went to “Fire” by Aizhan Kasymbekov from Kazakhstan about the family of a courier who has a large family, a pregnant wife, children and no prospects.

In parallel with the competitive screenings, an acting laboratory was held, which was attended by 100 artists from all over the country. As the curators say, everyone is so recharged that the Oscar will be ours. In a day and a half, under the direction of Arseny Meshcheryakov, five scenes from Quentin Tarantino’s debut film Reservoir Dogs were staged. The male roles were played by girls. In the pavilion of the Sverdlovsk film studio, director Liza Moroz read with laboratory participants Alexei Balabanov’s debut script “Happy Days” based on the works of Samuel Beckett.