Kantemir Arturovich Balagov (Russian: Кантемир Артурович Балагов, Kabardian: Бэлагъы Артурыкъуэ Къантемыр; born 28 July 1991) is a Russian film director of Circassian descent, screenwriter and cinematographer from the Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria, in the North Caucasian region of the Russian Federation. He has directed the films Closeness (2017) and Beanpole (2019).
Kantemir Balagov | |
|---|---|
Кантемир Балагов | |
| Born | Kantemir Arturovich Balagov 28 July 1991 |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Occupation(s) | Film director, cameraman, screenwriter |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Known for | Beanpole |
| Partner | Kira Kovalenko |
| Awards | Un Certain Regard (Best Director, 2019) |
Biography
editBalagov was born in Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkarian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, RSFSR, in the final year of the Soviet Union, into a family with no connection to cinema.[1][2] His mother is a chemistry and biology teacher who works as the head teacher at a local school, while his father is a local entrepreneur.[3]
Since childhood, Balagov had been watching mainstream movies, and at the age of 18 began to create his own small videos. Then, together with friends in Nalchik, he shot an Internet series with episodes of 10 minutes each. He did not originally plan to pursue a career as a filmmaker, but decided to apply for the cinema workshop led by Alexander Sokurov at Kabardino-Balkarian State University in Nalchik. Balagov missed the deadline to enter the university as a freshman, but he still wrote to Sokurov asking Sokurov to consider his application. He eventually was accepted to the workshop as a third-year student. He graduated from university after studies in Sokurov's workshop. Directors Kira Kovalenko, Alexander Zolotukhin and Vladimir Bitokov were his fellow students.[4][5][6]
During his studies, he made several fiction and documentary films.[7] Some of Balagov's short films were shown at the 67th Locarno Festival.[8] In 2017, he made his debut as a director with the feature film Closeness in the program Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival, where he received the prize FIPRESCI.[9][10][11] In 2017, he was awarded the GQ Russia Prize in the category Discovery of the Year.[12]
In 2019, Balagov received the Cannes Film Festival Un Certain Regard Award for Best Director and FIPRESCI prize for the film Beanpole.[13][14] Beanpole was Russia's entry for Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards, making the December shortlist.[15]
In January 2021, Balagov was named as the director of the pilot for The Last of Us television adaptation.[16] In October 2022, Balagov announced that he left the project a year ago over creative differences, and the series' showrunner and creator, Craig Mazin, took over directing duties for the pilot, although 40% of the footage shot by Balagov were retained in the final cut.
When Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Balagov condemned the war and left Russia for exile in California.[17][18] Balagov and his girlfriend, the Russian filmmaker Kira Kovalenko[19] were chosen as Telluride Film Festival guest directors in September 2022.[20]
References
edit- ^ Kantemir Balagov at the Festival de Cannes
- ^ Kantemir Balagov at the Locarno Festival
- ^ Anisimova, Elena (25 July 2017). "Знакомьтесь, Кантемир Балагов — будущее российского кино (он уже выиграл в Каннах)" [Meet Kantemir Balagov - the future of Russian cinema (he has already won in Cannes)]. Sobaka.ru (in Russian).
- ^ Christopher Vourlias (3 September 2021). "Vladimir Bitokov Looks to Find a 'Home' in Venice With Sophomore Feature". Variety. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
- ^ Geoffrey Macnab (2 September 2021). "Alexander Rodnyansky on why this is an amazing moment for Russian filmmaking". Screen Daily. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
- ^ Moskvitin, E. (20 June 2019). "Кантемир Балагов: "Уверен, что мои амбиции меня когда-нибудь погубят"" [Kantemir Balagov: ‘I Feel that my Ambitions will ruin me someday’] (in Russian). Esquire. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
- ^ Кантемир Балагов. ПрофиСинема. [Kantemir Balagov]. ProfiCinema.ru (in Russian).
- ^ Kabardino-Balkarian State University: Aleksandr Sokurov Teaching Cinema
- ^ Dolin, Anton (25 May 2017). "«Теснота» Кантемира Балагова: ученик Сокурова снял фильм о еврейской семье на Кавказе в 1990-е. И покорил Канны!" ["Cramped" by Kantemir Balagov: a student of Sokurov made a film about a Jewish family in the Caucasus in the 1990s And conquered Cannes!]. Meduza (in Russian).
- ^ "«Теснота» Кантемира Балагова получила приз ФИПРЕССИ в Каннах. Это фильм о жизни еврейской семьи в Нальчике в 1990-е" [The "tightness" of Cantemir Balagov received the FIPRESCI prize in Cannes. This is a film about the life of a Jewish family in Nalchik in the 1990s]. Meduza. 27 May 2017.
- ^ "Запредельно близко: "Теснота" как главный российский кинодебют года" [Extremely close: "Tightness" as the main Russian film debut of the year]. Wonderzine.com. 21 July 2017.
- ^ Smolina, Yelena (13 September 2017). "Открытие года 2017: Кантемир Балагов" [Opening of the year 2017: Kantemir Balagov]. GQ Russia.
- ^ Un Certain Regard 2019 prizes
- ^ "Российский режиссёр Кантемир Балагов получил вторую награду в Каннах" [Russian director Kantemir Balagov received the second award in Cannes]. Novaya Gazeta. 25 May 2019.
- ^ "Russia's Beanpole Shortlisted For Oscar's Best International Film". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. 17 December 2019. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
- ^ "'Last of Us' HBO Series Finds Director (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. 15 January 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
- ^ "Режиссер Кантемир Балагов уехал из России". Meduza. 6 March 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
- ^ "Режиссер Балагов заявил об отъезде из России в связи с событиями на Украине". Rossa Primavera. 7 March 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
- ^ Arthur Cerf (7 January 2023). "Kantemir Balagov et Kira Kovalenko, les étoiles fuyantes du cinéma russe" (in French). Le Monde.
- ^ Kohn, Eric (14 June 2022). "Russian Directors Kira Kovalenko and Kantemir Balagov Discuss Fleeing the Country, Call Putin a 'Butcher'". IndieWire. Retrieved 5 September 2022.