\u201cAmerican cinemas earn more from popcorn and soft drinks than they do from the films themselves. That\u2019s why they make movies where munching and crunching doesn\u2019t get in the way," says Russian director Andrei Konchalovsky, the latest recipient of Art Film Fest\u2019s Golden Camera. <\/p>\n
Your latest work is The Nutcracker in 3D. Were you attracted by the new technology?
New technology is worthless! It doesn\u2019t change a thing, and that includes 3D. That said, I have to admit that video and digitalization changed cinema considerably. The camera shrank substantially and we can make shots as long as we want, which helped to form the new language of film.
Then why did you film Tchaikovsky\u2019s Nutcracker in 3D?
It’s a highly spectacular ballet, essentially a fairy-tale for children of all ages. But there are many things you can\u2019t do with 3D \u2013 the technology is Disneyland.
You made your feature debut with The First Teacher in 1965. Three years later you wrote the screenplay to Andrei Tarkovsky\u2019s Ivan\u2019s Childhood. Which attracts you more \u2013 screenwriting or directing?
Both fields interest me equally. I got used to writing my own scripts, since I’ve still yet to find a screenwriter whose work I haven\u2019t had to adapt considerably.
Have you determined why that is?
Probably because I have my own world, my own philosophical concept, and that\u2019s a very difficult thing for anyone else to create. A film belongs to its director, and no one else \u2013 despite being a team effort. Andrei Rublev isn\u2019t my film, nor is Ivan\u2019s Childhood, since it was Andrei Tarkovsky who directed them.
Tango & Cash isn\u2019t either, as I didn’t write the screenplay.
In the United States you\u2019ve been doing work for television. No funds for theatrical releases?
Shooting an independent film there is very demanding. I opted for television because American TV studios produce serials that are more intelligent than Hollywood films, thanks to their excellent writers. Hollywood, on the other hand, hasn\u2019t seen a good screenwriter in ages. Instead of intelligent films, they keep churning out sequels to Spiderman, Ironman, X-Men and other blockbusters.
Do you rank your own films in your head?
I’m well aware which were mistakes and where I went wrong. Of course I won’t be revealing any of that to you. To assess one\u2019s own films is like grading one\u2019s own loves, disappointments, breakups and hatreds. I\u2019ve had five wives, and every one of them was stunning and wonderful. I couldn\u2019t possibly say which was better than the others. I know which wasn\u2019t absolutely perfect. But I\u2019m not telling.
You\u2019ve won a Golden Nymph, a Crystal Globe and an Emmy, to name but a few. What do awards mean to you?
Every award means the same thing \u2013 that someone likes what you do, what you\u2019ve made. And that really is a tremendously good feeling. Artists need praise and awards, like every child, like every adult. Not to mention that most artists are conceited men\u2026
But you\u2019ve never won an Oscar, despite multiple nominations for Runaway Train\u2026
I wouldn\u2019t say it\u2019s something I pine for day and night. Even if I certainly could have won that one. But how many great artists never won an Oscar? Take Tolstoy, for example.<\/p>\n
Jena Opoldusov\u00e1<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cAmerican cinemas earn more from popcorn and soft drinks than they do from the films themselves. That\u2019s why they make