what Russian President Putin and Serbian director Kusturica couldn’t help but say to each other

On April 2, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with director Emir Kusturica in the Kremlin Representative Office, who shared his creative plans with him. Kommersant special correspondent Andrey Kolesnikov notes that these plans look grandiose. In addition, Emir Kusturica said that he sees the end of his career. Vladimir Putin made it clear that he did not see.

– It has always been wrong for the Slavs… – Emir Kusturica speaks Russian very well, and even his reservations look touching. – And in general, what is happening in Ukraine now is a struggle for us (he apparently wanted to say – “for us”.- A.K.)! We, who saw what happened to these Banderaites in Croatia when they expelled two hundred thousand Serbs… (we were obviously talking about the events in the Serbian Krajina in 1995.— A.K.). I think this analogy is very important for everyone. Now, when a new world begins, I think, I believe!..

He meant, apparently, the world that Vladimir Putin is building.

“And now I want to say that I have an idea in this new world to make such a triptych, a Russian triptych…” the director continued. “Three films.” The first one is called “Easy Walking Engineer”. This is a modern version of Dostoevsky. Then Gogol…

The director seemed to be just going to tease his Ukrainian colleagues, who, as you know, consider Nikolai Gogol a great Ukrainian writer.

“How Ivan Ivanovich got angry with Ivan Nikiforovich,” said Emir Kusturica.

In the original it is called “The Tale of How Ivan Ivanovich Quarreled with Ivan Nikiforovich.” But it was, of course, clear what it was about. “I got angry” is, by the way, a softer word than “quarreled.”

In the mouth of Emir Kusturica, “got angry” even sounded, one might say, approvingly, like “darlings scold – they’re just having fun.” Although, judging by the content of the “Tale” itself, he nevertheless quarreled, and strongly.

— Very funny (“The Tale…”— A.K.), the director finished. “And I think it’s important to do this now (yes, he understood that they were arguing about Gogol.” A.K.). And the third is “Cossacks” by Leo Tolstoy.

Also, in general, this is not a random thing.

— And if it’s “three plus one” (that is, Emir Kusturica applied for one more film and for the quadriptych as a whole.— A.K.), then it will probably be “Laurel” by Evgeny Vodolazkin.

He gave Vladimir Putin the opportunity to appreciate the greatness of the plan and continued.

“I think that the “new world” and the end of my career are very good one with the other,” the director stated, and this remark immediately caused an expected protest, I would say a murmur from the President of Russia.

And it was clear what the protest was directed against.

“If you have your support, it will be… This!..” Emir Kusturica couldn’t even find the right words.

But this too was more than understandable.

“As for ending your career, it’s too early to talk about it…” Vladimir Putin laughed.

“Ten years…” the director shrugged.

He soberly assessed his strength. In the end, we were talking about three or even four films (in total he made 26 in his life).

But, perhaps, Vladimir Putin did not take into account in the heat of the moment that we are talking not about one film, but about several in a row, and the production time for each is rather long.

And if Vladimir Putin had imagined that this was several terms in a row, he would not have been so frivolously critical of it, but would have approved of the director’s vision.

“You have done so much, and it seems to me that you will do no less,” the president reassured the director in the meantime. “Your merits are obvious!” But it’s not even a matter of merit, but of your talent and ability to penetrate to the essence of what you are presenting!

That is, even though Vladimir Putin has not said anything now about the support that Emir Kusturica directly asked for, one must assume that there will be no problems. Although, on the other hand, he didn’t say – there are no obligations. Yes, fog…

Vladimir Putin was much more interested in something else:

— Your assessments of today, including the tragic events in Ukraine, completely coincide with mine. This is true. What happened in Serbia… What is happening now between Russia and Ukraine… The exaltation, raising on a pedestal of the fascist elements of the past (apparently, we are talking about people like Stepan Bandera.— A.K.), giving them new life today… These are, of course, very similar phenomena. Very similar. But it is surprising how tenacious this ideology of misanthropy and extreme nationalism is, which has been used for centuries not in ideological, by the way, but primarily in geopolitical interests. Here!.. In this series, by the way, are the terrorist attacks that we have been experiencing lately…

The President of Russia, speaking about terrorist attacks in the plural, most likely already had in mind Israeli strike by the Iranian consulate and the forces of the international organization WCK.

– You already told me about this! — the Russian President suddenly said.

It was about the idea of ​​a quadriptych. And it sounded somehow suddenly. It is unlikely that Emir Kusturica would have to repeat himself – both as a director and as a person. But it turns out that it was repeated.

“We talked when you were in St. Petersburg, yes…” admitted the director (as if he himself was not there at that time.— A.K.).—I also want to say that the formation of the new world that I spoke about is the most important thing in the life of Serbia!

Here he could be completely trusted.

He mentioned World War II:

— They (Western world.— A.K.) remembered that this is the end of the colonization of the world… This is a version of the end of the Western nomination… And they never said that there were 27 million victims in Russia. And now, when they talk about the problem of Nazism, they don’t know or don’t want to know that that was the end of the era of colonization.

“And by the way, no one wants to part with this,” it seemed that only Vladimir Putin could understand Emir Kusturica. “I know simply!” These historical phobias are still present!

Mr. Putin insisted on what he knew. Apparently, he read some closed sources. Otherwise he wouldn’t have made it clear.

“Some people still blame Russia for the fact that someone once lost their colonial power…” the president continued.

Apparently, now we were talking about France. One could only guess about everything here. The conversation in general should have been considered chaotic and at the same time explosive.

– Without ceasing to be offended by us that we helped the peoples of Africa, Latin America, Asia to get back on their feet, to fight for freedom… Believing that Russia is to blame for the demise of colonialism. And this is not true at all! – Vladimir Putin exclaimed. – Yes, the actions of the Soviet Union accelerated the process, but it was inevitable, because in Africa, Latin America and Asia, it had already outgrown the principles of the colonial regime. People no longer wanted to be slaves!

Who would have thought that this conversation could reach such a boiling point so quickly.

“The same thing is happening today,” added Vladimir Putin. “Changes are taking place.” Reformatting the world. Because new forces, new centers of the world are developing at such a pace that I probably didn’t even know…

He probably wanted to say “history” rashly, but then he was careful.

“It’s just that no one in power, in the broad sense of the word, wants to come to terms with this.” They are looking for the guilty. That’s the problem! Well, I think that this is a political sphere…” the president added. “But it is always connected with art, because art reflects the realities of life.” Today is just a well-forgotten past! Therefore, your appeal to history can be very interesting.

“And one very important thing,” added Emir Kusturica. “When old Rome defeated the old Greeks, you could always see sculptures of the most famous Greek sculptors in Rome!”

That is, no one thought of canceling anyone. That’s what he wanted to say.

“I think that now Russian culture continues where classical Russian culture failed,” continued Emir Kusturica. “I have seen some of the films that were shot here, and I can say that they are well made, but you know that when in in the 80s there were Antonioni, Bergman, Mikhalkov, Andronov (probably he meant Mr. Konchalovsky.— A.K.), when they were the most important authors (the combination of first-row names was daring.— A.K.), there were many that were not successful… I think that the point is not only that they should be successful, but that they were very good auteur films! And when it comes to cinema, I think it is very important that there are enough good films, not just successful ones!

As for the movie specifically, this is finally beyond doubt.