Svetlana PROSKURINA
Светлана ПРОСКУРИНА
Svetlana PROSKOURINA
Russia, 2007, 93mn 
Colour, fiction
Best of Times
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Лучшее время года

 

 Le Meilleur moment de l'année

 Luchsheye vremya goda

Other titles : Валентинов день
 
Directed by : Svetlana PROSKURINA (Светлана ПРОСКУРИНА)
Writing credits : Ivan VYRYPAEV (Иван ВЫРЫПАЕВ)
 
Cast
Daniya AGISHEVA (Дания АГИШЕВА) ...Valentina, 20 ans
Yana ESIPOVICH (Яна ЕСИПОВИЧ) ...Katia, 20 ans
Viktor SUKHORUKOV (Виктор СУХОРУКОВ) ...Vassia Saper
Irina YEVDOKIMOVA (Ирина ЕВДОКИМОВА) ...Valentina, 40 ans
Mikhail YEVLANOV (Михаил ЕВЛАНОВ) ...Valentin
 
Cinematography : Oleg LUKICHOV (Олег ЛУКИЧЕВ)
Production design : Dmitry ALEKSEYEV (Дмитрий АЛЕКСЕЕВ)
Music : Andrey SIGLE (Андрей СИГЛЕ)
Sound : Vladimir PERSOV (Владимир ПЕРСОВ)
Editing : Sergey_2 IVANOV (Сергей_2 ИВАНОВ)
Produced by : Stanislav ERSHOV (Станислав ЕРШОВ)
Production : Gorky Film Studio, KinoPTOBBA
 
Language russe
format : 35 mm
Sites : www.bestoftimes-film.com, trailer

Plot synopsis
Restraint and stylistically stern drama about the spiritual side of love. Two women have been fighting all their lives over one man and after his death they become inseparable friends. They are joined together by a dark secret.
Source : www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com
 

Commentaries and bibliography
Svetlana Proskurina : Best of Times (Luchshee vremia goda, 2007), Stephen HUTCHINGS, kinokultura.com, 2008
 
With Russian dramatist Ivan Vyrypayev as scriptwriter, Svetlana Proskurina has opted for a story with a seemingly minimalist narrative and a broad universal scope - a plot rooted in ancient dramatic tradition and based on a deep understanding of the human psyche. A man and two women are locked into a lifelong relationship - where unrequited love is mixed with genuine tenderness, and desperate passion is tamed by predestined separation. Mikhail Evlanov plays an ordinary man who finds himself drawn into an extraordinary love triangle - in which the two women, Valentina and Katya, progress through life, carrying the burden of their passion for him and their seeming hatred towards each other. After the man’s death they become inseparable, bonded by a shared dark secret. Proskurina here ventures into the 'territory of love' - the only territory where one can still breathe freely. She is interested in the spiritual aspect of love, rather than its physical manifestations. The female characters, depicted at the age of 20, 40 and 60 are played by different actresses, whilst the man - Valentin - remains unchanged and almost untouched by time. This subdued drama, though austere in style, delivers a challenging philosophical message. Svetlana Proskurina remains true to her artistic credo, as she continues to explore the enigmatic world of human emotions. (MB)
Source : www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com

Selected in the following festivals or events :
- International Film Festival of the Commonwealth Countries "Moscow Premiere", Moscow (Russia), 2012
- Novy Rusky Film, Prague (Czech Republic), 2009
- Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic), 2009
- Rotterdam International Film Festival, Rotterdam (Netherlands), 2008
- International Film Festival Tarkovski, Ivanovo (Russia), 2008
- Moscow International Film Festival (MIFF), Moscow (Russia), 2008
- International Film Festival : Pacific Meridians, Vladivostok (Russia), 2008
- International Film Festival of the Commonwealth Countries "Moscow Premiere", Moscow (Russia), 2008
- Festival of Festivals, St Petersburg (Russia), 2008
- Ljubljana International Film Festival, Ljubljana (Slovenia), 2008
- Russian Film Festival, London (United Kingdom), 2008
- Open Russian Film Festival Kinotavr, Sochi (Russia), 2007

Photos and videos