Rashid Nugmanov: Art as a Genetic Code

Today, the audience of the 14^th Kazan International Muslim Film Festival had an exceptional opportunity to watch the Soviet film Needle and attend a questions and answers session with its director Rashid Nugmanov.

On behalf of the organising committee of the festival, Milyausha Aytuganova presented the honourable guests a Tatar sweet Chack-Chack, inviting him to the closing ceremony of the festival. She shared her impressions on the film: ‘I think this is one of the most successful films of the time. It totally reflects the historic period and its atmosphere. After watching the film, I had a feeling that even life goes on, but values presented in the film remain the same’.

The majority of spectators were watching the film for their second or third time, highlighting that the film continues to excite and captivate them, whereas the appearance of Victor Tsoi on the screen definitely has a magnetic effect. Rashid Nugmanov was asked several questions on his experience of work with Victor Tsoi, who was recognized as the best actor of the USSR in 1989 due his participation in the following films: Yia-Kha, Assa and Needle.

Rashid Nugmanov told about his passion for Japanese cinematograph, works of Dziga Vertov and Jean-Luc Godard, when he was asked about the works that influenced the aesthetics of Needle: 'Art can not exhist in isolation. It is kind of a genetic code that is transmitted from artist to artist’.

The film Neede (1988) celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. There are several events upcoming in Kazan dedicated to this special date, including the screening of the new version of the film (Needle, 2010) at Aksenov Fest – 2018 and an exhibition ‘Needle: Behind the Scenes’ (to be opened on September, 12).

The photo report of the event is available here