"Kerosene"
On account of Yusup Razykov several dozens of directorial and screenwriting works (recently, his “Saber Dance” about the life of composer Aram Khachaturian with Hambardzum Kabanyan in the title role was released). Now the time has come for the Razykov festival drama, which last year passed the Vyborg film screening “Window to Europe” and the Sochi “Kinotavr” - in the last picture it received a prize from the Guild of Film Critics and Film Critics.
The main character of the film, Pavel’s grandmother, lives in a remote village and is forced to illuminate the house with kerosene lamps. Pavel is tormented by dreams about her long-dead husband, who during her lifetime beat her. The heroine still lives on his advice, which comes to her in a dream. The environment of the old woman is a daughter with a child and her roommate; visiting truckers, rowdy, domestic chicken and piglet.
The director emphasizes: let Pavel’s life be difficult, he told the story not about the unfortunate old woman, but about a person overcoming any difficulties.
Important is the connection of the tape with folklore. Parts of the film are named as Russian folk tales, the story itself is rich in small miracles, and its musical design consists of ditties and original songs of the ethnographer Sergei Starostin.
Last Fantasy (Akharin Dastan)
The full-length animated film of debutant Ashan Ragozar became the first cartoon exclusively made in Iran. Its plot is based on one of the stories of the Shahnameh - the Book of the Kings, a monument of Persian literature.
Going on a dangerous campaign, the king of Persia left Prince Zahak on the throne, who eventually gained fame as a tyrant and usurper. Zahak instantly destroyed the achievements of his predecessor and switched to the side of evil. However, the young man Faridun threatens the antagonist’s rule: he dreams of taking revenge on Zakhak for his dead father. But before leading the uprising, Faridun has to grow up and find harmony in his own soul.
“Terrible stories for a story by the fire” (Karakoz)
“Terrible stories for a story by the fire” - Ukrainian-Kazakh horror, combining several diverse stories. All of them are associated with ghosts, witches and other evil spirits.
Horror stories tell each other five friends who gathered at night in the forest. All stories smoothly lead the viewer to the last, main, in which fiction and reality mix.
The directors of the picture are Roman Sidorenko and Maxim Yakobchuk. Sidorenko also wrote a script based on national folklore. One of the legends that came into the text and later appeared in the film was invented by the producer Ibrahim Makhmutov. It was thanks to her that the original name of the project appeared - Karakoz. The roles in the tape were played by Bibigul Suyunshalina, Ali Okapov, Daria Alexandrova, Aldiyar Bayrakimov and others.
According to Roman Sidorenko, the picture contains many references to famous horrors, including Psycho, The Evil Dead, Friday the 13th, and Nightmare on Elm Street.
“Tunnel: Life-threatening” (Tunnelen)
The events of the Norwegian thriller “Tunnel: Danger to Life” unfold shortly before Christmas. Thousands of passengers travel home and with relatives for the holidays, but because of a serious accident with a fuel truck, they find themselves in a death trap in a long tunnel running through the mountains. Outside the tunnel, a blizzard rages, because of which rescuers cannot come to the rescue, so the heroes have little chance of survival.
The first viewers praised the picture, emphasizing that it is not inferior to Hollywood disaster films.
According to critics, the picture turned out to be hyper-realistic both due to the video sequence and scenario solutions: a disaster occurs where something like this can actually happen, and small human errors lead to negative consequences.
“Give Your Soul” (8)
An orphaned girl with her relatives moves to an old farm. The heroine, played by the young debutante Keita Luna, eventually learns about the forces endowed with these places: ordinary people here are able to contact the dead. The girl meets a mysterious old man, supposedly able to resurrect the dead. However, he does this for a reason: many years ago, a man sold the soul of his daughter and is now forced to collect other souls. If the old man fulfills his task, a portal to hell will open.
The director and screenwriter of the South African horror film Give Your Soul was Harold Hölsher. For him, this picture was the debut in full meter. The tape premiered in the summer of 2019 at the Canadian Fantasia Film Festival, after which the film was presented at several more shows.
Viewers respond well to the tape: they call it intriguing, note high-quality technical solutions and a beautiful picture. The film's rating on Rotten Tomatoes is 71%.
Human Lost: Confession of an Inferior Man (Human Lost: Ningen Shikkaku)
"Human Lost: Confession of an Inferior Man" is a fantastic Japanese anime based on Osamu Dazai's novel about life in Tokyo in 2036. According to the plot, the need for doctors completely disappears in the future: nanodevices are implanted in people's bodies, allowing them to live completely healthy for up to 120 years. Despite the obvious benefits, the invention has led to a number of negative consequences. As a result, Japan is on the verge of destroying civilization.
The film was shown as part of the Fantasia International show, and also entered the program of the Annecy International Festival of Animated Films. Critics greeted the picture positively. According to them, the director Fuminori Kizaki retained the structure of Dazai’s narrative and accurately reflected the tragedy described in the novel. Experts also note high-quality animation showing futuristic landscapes that immerse viewers in the world of the future.