Balayan Roman Gurgenovich. Creativity and the best films

Roman Balayan is a bright and well-known figure in the domestic film world. Being a master of intellectual and psychological cinema, he confidently takes the place of one of the most popular and internationally recognized directors of our time.

Childhood and the beginning of a career

Balayan Roman Gurgenovich was born in the Azerbaijani village of Nerkin-Oratag (Mardakert region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan) on April 15, As a child, he remained without a father who died during the Great Patriotic War. Her mother was a doctor, and she also took part in productions of local theatrical circles. In 1948, the family moved to Grozny, but in 1951, returned back. In the period from 1959 to 1961 Roman served as an actor in the drama theater named after M. Gorky in Stepanakert (Nagorno-Karabakh). And just this year he moved to Armenia and became a student at the Theater Institute of the city of Yerevan (directing faculty). However, in 1964, for some time, he took a break from studies and continued it at the Kiev Theater Institute. Karpenko-Kary (on the directing course of cinematography).

Friendship with Parajanov

Roman Balayan was firmly convinced that at the age of 26 he would become a brilliant director. And the reason for this confidence was that "in his 26 Eisenstein created the film" Battleship Potemkin. " But in the "appointed term" Roman was still a student. And it was during his student days that he met Paradzhanov, who at first left a very bad impression of himself. However, over time, among the admirers of the talent of the director was Roman. Balayan himself later admitted that Paradzhanov had become for him not just a teacher and unconditional authority, but almost a god.

Later, when Sergei Iosifovich was arrested (April 1973), Roman Balayan became one of the initiators of the letter of cultural figures in defense of Parajanov. He also referred one of the copies of the letter to the General Prosecutor's Office. But, unfortunately, this did not lead to anything, and Balayan had to communicate with his teacher through correspondence. By chance, Roman Gurgenovich could not attend the funeral of the genius director, and he was very sorry about that. But, paying tribute to his Teacher, he made a documentary called "Night at Parajanov Museum."

Director's debut

Despite the few filmography, there is something in his paintings, after which the attentive spectator can confidently say that the director of the tape is Balayan. Roman Gurgenovich himself often joked about this, saying that his films have more friends than his own. And he also said that, despite all the shortcomings of his paintings, he was the only filmmaker close to Paradzhanov who came out of imitation of a talented director. The only exception was the thesis "Zlodіya spimimali" ("The thief was caught").

However, the first full-fledged directorial debut ("Romashkin Effect"), according to the director himself, was not very successful. Although the viewer's story about friends who decided to remove kefir advertising, took it very warmly. The main role in the film was played by Mikhail Derzhavin, and his friends - Nikolai Tkachuk and Nikolai Grinko. But this film was also criticized by many, and even closed. Then came the more successful paintings - "Kashtanka" (1975) and "Biryuk" (1977).

«Flights in a dream and in reality»

After the success of "Biryuk" had to survive for five years of downtime. Although there were proposals, however, Balayan himself simply refused to shoot miners and workers. Roman Gurgenovich later admitted that it was purely egoism, because the family at the time was starving. It was these years of calm that served as the motive for the next film. So "born" "Flights in a dream and in reality".

The script was originally written for Nikita Mikhalkov, but one day Balayan saw on his TV on TV how Oleg Yankovsky cut a lemon. And the whole thing was in the way he looked at everyone, there was some rebellion in him, a protest to society ... After that, Balayan had to refuse Mikhalkov, but he still played in the film an episodic role - the director on the set. As a result, the film went "with a bang." The picture of a man who could not find a place in life, as if he absorbed all the pain that the country was living then. Everyone in the main character found himself, and Jankowski himself then admitted that it was his most interesting role ...

"Kiss"

Immediately after completing the shooting of "Flying ..." Balayan started work on the picture "Kiss" (a screen version of the eponymous story of Anton Chekhov), according to many viewers and film critics, who became one of the best films of the director. And again in the main role - Oleg Yankovsky, who played a noble officer, suffering from mental anguish. The company this time was made up by Alexander Abdulov and Oleg Menshikov (the role of the latter was at least small, but noticeable). However, when watching the film, one can feel who prefers Balayan. Roman Gurgenovich was so enthusiastic about Jankowski that he brought it to the fore, and only in the second plan, attention is transferred to Abdulov. And somewhere on the outskirts, with the frightened eyes of the young officer, the Menshikov "rolls" ... The film was completely finished in just eight months and was warmly received by the audience.

Spectator Love

The director's works of Roman Balayan always cause interest, and afterwards the love of the public. They are waiting impatiently. In addition, in an interview, he admitted that he is preparing a new scenario and dreams of removing Svyatoslav Vakarchuk (leader of the group "Ocean Elzy") in the main role. Of course, this warms the public's interest even more. Well, we will look forward to his new film career ...