Secretary General Chernenko continues his journey through world festivals

Rezo Gigineishvili’s film “Patient N One” was awarded in Tallinn “For convincingly recreating the atmosphere of the Soviet Union of the 1980s”

On November 18, at the 27th Tallinn International Film Festival “Dark Nights”, Rezo Gigineishvili’s film “Patient No. 1” about the last days of the USSR Secretary General Konstantin Chernenko received an award in the category “Best Production Design” with the wording “For convincing recreation of the atmosphere of the Soviet Union of the 1980s “

Many of us did not understand why the film was actually awarded and what “production design” is. At our request, the festival staff explained that the award was given for the best work of the artist. Then we should mention production designer Tinatin Kvinikadze (previous works – “Hostages” by Rezo Gigineishvili, “Blind Dates” by Levan Koguashvili).

At some major world festivals, for example, in Tokyo and Venice, awards of this kind are given “For artistic contribution”, that is, for a visual solution, which involves the work of a production designer and a cameraman, more often – one of them. Thus, the bright visual solution of the picture is noted. In “Patient No. 1” both are at the highest level. The cameraman on the film was Pyotr Bratersky. The work of the production designer is also supported by the fact that Gurt Giltai, who worked on the film “Natasha’s Dance” by the Dutch classic Jos Stelling, was separately awarded for Best Cinematography, that is, for cinematography. This award has a cash value of 1000 euros.

It was in Tallinn that in 2017 they showed the film “The Death of Stalin” by British director Armando Iannucci, which did not receive a distribution certificate from us, although sometimes it literally reproduces the scenes of farewell to Stalin, known from freely available newsreels. In Tallinn there were queues for “The Death of Stalin”. Everything related to Soviet history is of great interest there.

A few days ago, “Patient No. 1” was awarded for best director’s work at the influential International Film Festival of Eastern European Cinema in Cottbus, Germany. And on October 6, Rezo Gigineishvili received the personal award of film director Herzog Werner, The Werner Herzog Film Award, in Munich.

Rezo Gigineishvili talks about the decline of the penultimate Secretary General of the USSR, Konstantin Chernenko, who led the country for only a year and one month from 1984 to 1985. He is already very sick, he is being treated at the Central Clinical Hospital, but the Soviet people should not know about this. The main thing is to maintain the illusion of life. Chernenko is not only under the supervision of doctors, but of a whole apparatus of people in civilian clothes. There are elections ahead, and this weak life must be preserved at any cost. As it happened in real life, the scenery of a polling station is built on the screen right in the hospital, where Konstantin Ustinovich votes, and everyone sees that he is still legally capable.

Patient No. 1 was played powerfully and delicately by Alexander Filippenko. His hero is no longer thinking well, can barely move his legs, but is eager to get to work. Nurse Sasha is looking after Chernenko. She was played by Olga Makeeva, familiar to viewers from “Kept Women” and “Actresses.” The Secretary General calls the nurse his wife in a conversation with his real wife played by Inna Churikova. This is her last film work – the strongest and most impeccable in recent years.

The film aroused great interest. The only question is when its Russian premiere will take place. The film was shot in Russia, but the country of origin is Georgia.