Konstantin Lopushansky

Konstantin Lopushansky
Konstantin Lopushansky in 2017
Born
Konstantin Sergeyevich Lopushansky

(1947-06-12) June 12, 1947 (age 77)
Dnipropetrovsk, Ukrainian SSR, USSR
NationalityRussian
OccupationFilm director
Years active1978–present
AwardsPeople's Artist of Russia

Konstantin Sergeyevich Lopushansky (Russian: Константин Сергеевич Лопушанский; born June 12, 1947) is a Soviet and Russian film director, film theorist and author.[1][2][3] He is best known for directing the apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic films Dead Man's Letters (1986), A Visitor to a Museum (1989), Russian Symphony (1994), and The Ugly Swans (2006).

In 1997, Lopushansky was awarded the Honored Artist of the Russian Federation honorary title. In 2007, he was awarded the People's Artist of Russia honorary title, the highest Russian civilian honor for performing arts.[2]

Biography

Early life

Konstantin Lopushansky was born on June 12, 1947, in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukrainian SSR, and raised in Kazan.[3] His mother was Sofia Petrovna Lopushanskaya, who worked as a linguistic professor at Kazan State University and Volgograd State University.[4] His father was Sergei Timofeyevich Lopushansky, a front-line soldier who died in 1953 from wounds he sustained in war.[5]

Education and early career

In 1970, Konstantin Lopushansky graduated from Kazan Conservatory as a violinist, and in 1973 he completed a postgraduate course at Leningrad Conservatory with a Ph.D. thesis in art criticism. Afterwards, Lopushansky taught at the Kazan and Leningrad conservatories for several years. Lopushansky took higher courses for scriptwriters and film directors from the director's department at the workshop of Emil Loteanu.[3][6]

Upon graduating from the directorial courses in 1979, Lopushansky assisted Andrei Tarkovsky in directing the legendary film Stalker, based on the novel Roadside Picnic by Boris Strugatsky.[6]

Lopushansky's thesis film Solo made in 1980 was about a musician playing his last concert during the Siege of Leningrad.[7]

Since 1980 Lopushansky has worked as a production director at the Lenfilm cinema studio.[8]

Dead Man's Letters and breakthrough

In 1986, Konstantin Lopushansky made his feature film directorial debut with the post-apocalyptic film Dead Man's Letters, which was co-written by Boris Strugatsky. It was screened at the International Critics' Week section of the Cannes Film Festival in 1987[9] and received the FIPRESCI prize at the 35th International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg.[10]

Lopushanksy's 1989 film A Visitor to a Museum was entered into the 16th Moscow International Film Festival where it won the Silver St. George and the Prix of Ecumenical Jury.[11]

Lopushansky's 1994 film Russian Symphony was screened in the Forum section of the 45th Berlin International Film Festival where it received the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury.[12][13]

Lopushansky made the 2006 film The Ugly Swans, based on the novel by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. The science-fiction film was about a writer who visits a boarding school for gifted children where the teachers are mutants.[14]

Lopushansky's 2013 drama film The Role told the story of an actor who decides to impersonate a deceased commander of the Red Army. It was shown in competition at the 35th Moscow International Film Festival.[15] It received the Nika Award for Best Screenplay.[16]

Konstantin Lopushansky's drama film Through the Black Glass was released in 2019.[17][18]

Filmography

Year Film
1978 Tears in Windy Weather (Slyozy v vetrenuyu pogodu) (short film)
1980 Solo (short film)
1986 Dead Man's Letters (Pisma myortvogo cheloveka)
1989 A Visitor to a Museum (Posetitel muzeya)
1994 Russian Symphony (Russkaya simfoniya)
2001 The Turn of the Century (Konets veka)
2006 The Ugly Swans (Gadkie lebedi)
2013 The Role (Rol)
2019 Through the Black Glass (Skvoz chornoye steklo)

References

  1. ^ Peter Rollberg (2009). Historical Dictionary of Russian and Soviet Cinema. US: Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 414–415. ISBN 978-0-8108-6072-8.
  2. ^ a b "Константин Лопушанский". VokrugTV.
  3. ^ a b c "Константин Лопушанский - режиссер". Russian Cinema. Archived from the original on 2018-01-27. Retrieved 2018-01-27.
  4. ^ Roman Merzlyakov (20 November 2013). "Режиссер Константин Лопушанский: "Актеры расплачиваются своим рассудком"". Argumenty i Fakty.
  5. ^ "ЭКСПОЗИЦИЯ ЛОПУШАНСКАЯ СОФИЯ ПЕТРОВНА". Музей истории русского языка им. О.Н. Трубачева. Archived from the original on 2018-10-20. Retrieved 2018-01-27.
  6. ^ a b Elena Ringo (8 December 2017). "Interview with director Konstantin Lopushansky". Indie Cinema.
  7. ^ Anton Sazonov. "Режиссер Константин Лопушанский: Люди 20-х — бабочки над кровавой бездной". Snob.
  8. ^ "Konstantin Lopushansky Film Director :: People :: Russia-InfoCentre".
  9. ^ "26e SELECTION DE LA SEMAINE DE LA CRITIQUE - 1987". International Critics' Week.
  10. ^ "35th International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg, Germany (October 6 - October 11, 1986)". International Critics' Week.
  11. ^ "16th Moscow International Film Festival (1989)". MIFF. Archived from the original on March 16, 2013. Retrieved 2013-02-25.
  12. ^ "Russkaja simfinoija". Berlin International Film Festival. Retrieved 2016-05-30.
  13. ^ "Russian Symphony". FilmAffinity. Retrieved 2016-05-30.
  14. ^ Felperin, Leslie (2006-06-28). "The Ugly Swans". Variety. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
  15. ^ "35th Moscow Film Festival Competition Program". Moscow International Film Festival. Retrieved 2016-05-25.
  16. ^ Kozlov, Vladimir (2014-04-02). "'Geographer' Big Winner at Russian Academy Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2016-05-25.
  17. ^ Svetlana Mazurova. "Сквозь черное стекло". Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
  18. ^ "Сквозь чёрное стекло". VokrugTV.