Homeless Russian films to star at Cannes
23 April, 2009, 08:21
A homeless man from Siberia made a movie about himself and his relations with the outer world. The erotic-philosophical movie was sent to Cannes, and now he is awaiting an invitation to the renowned film festival.
Leonid Konovalov is not a director or a famous actor, not a script writer, nor a producer. He is a homeless resident of the Kemerovo Region, Siberia. However, he did not only make a movie – he managed to send it to the Cannes Film Festival!
The 62-year-old Konovalov is a former military man who visited the USA back in the 1990s. For 19 years, Konovalov has not had a proper shower, and the only source of income he has is collecting glass bottles from the trash.
But Leonid Konovalov is not exactly the poor homeless person you would think of. He has a house, and he says a tramp's lifestyle is his own choice.
The filmmaker says collecting bottles and cans from garbage piles is the best job in the world, as living this life allows one true freedom with no bosses around, and no one telling you what to do.
Konovalov says his striving for creativity pushed him to make a movie about his controversial relations with society.
“There are two strands to the plot in the film. The first is about civilization as a whole, and the other one – about the fight of civilization against me, and my victory in this fight,” the author says, adding that the movie contains “erotic” scenes, because as part of his scenario, he needed to undress completely.
”I've made an erotic movie,” he says. “I got naked myself and stripped all the beautiful fake clothes off your civilization… to show what's beneath. And that's death.”
Leonid says he could afford to make his two hour-plus movie with the money he earned from selling what others choose to throw away.
But many people in the Kemerovo region don't believe Konovalov, and question his story. They say he is known for his love of theatre, and never misses a premiere.
“He's got lots of money, and doesn't know what to do with it. He’s just fooling people. I've seen him in theatres several times, he was very well dressed up, and brought expensive bouquets for the crew,” local resident Anna Lomakina says.
Leonid claims he's been everything from an actor to a miner. These days, while he admits he's always been a theatre lover, he readily accepts that no usher would any longer let him in.
Konovalov’s daughter, who lives in one of the European countries, helped him send the movie to Cannes. The man has already received an answer, saying that his film is being considered for the second selection round, and if it passes, Konovalov may expect an invitation to the film festival.
Critics though, say his chances are small.
“I think no one will take the movie seriously. the only reason it can interest the Cannes is the fact that it fits into a new you-tube home-video format… and that is now the hottest trend,” film critic Aleksandr Golubchikov believes.
But for the present moment, the newborn director, producer, and actor is engaged in promoting and selling copies of his work for 10 thousand rubles ($ 300 US) per copy to collect money for his next project.
Well, good luck, Mr. Konovalov!