Tatarstan Minister of Culture Irada Ayupova on the Kazan Muslim Film Festival: Films are the Only One System of Values

The film the Last Waltz by a graduate of the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography (VGIK) Yulia Bobkova devoted to a composer Oleg Karavaychuk was screened within the framework of the parallel program of the 14^th Kazan Muslim Film Festival. The screening was attended by the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan Irada Ayupova.

‘It is difficult to frame a festival. We tried to find our own way during the whole period of the existence of the festival. Initially, we were trying to invite famous actors and directors. Three years ago we have switched our focus on our own films. This is implemented not to ‘watch and forget’ manner, we are aiming to show a particular philosophy and our vision. Films are the only one system of values’ noted Irada Ayupova.

The producer of the film commented that there is no indifferent audience at the Kazan Muslim Film Festival, the cinema halls are always packed with people, whereas the team of the festival is always going ahead, introducing something new.

"I knew Oleg Karavaychuk. He was a philosopher, a freak and, undoubtedly, a genius. I was always interested in where he was, what was his feelings, as he could not live in a vacuum, could he? Karavaiciuk answered me that he fell three entities inside of him, including Wagner, Oleg himself and the third, still unknown boy born in Asia. He was incredible person, extraordinary, unpredictable and paradoxical. The film is just about this moment. It is about the values present our daily lives ​. It promotes openness and communication. It is a conversation about how the reality of life is disappearing behind the absolutely meaningless material benefits’, said Stanislav Ershov about the film.

The producer noted that they were originally intending to screen the village of Komarovo, where the composer used to live. Akhmatova, Strugatsky, Repin and Shostakovich also used to live there. We were planning to do a musical film with the inserts of the music by Karavaiciuk. Although, he started to work on the music, he had never finished it. The film crew named unfinished melody of the composer The Last Waltz.

‘All music is the intellectual property of the composer. It was necessary to handle it carefully. The film could not have been released until we had came to an agreement with his heirs. Therefore, we have been looking for them for a long time, but we have not found anyone. The house of Oleg Karavaychuk six months after his death became the state property. I hope that his heritage will be carefully preserved. It is possible to open a museum in the house’, Ershov said.

The Last Waltz was released in October 2017 and screened in 70 Russian cities. The TV premiere was in December 2017. The film has not been uploaded to the social networks yet, as the film crew is going to promote this work at festivals.

The photo report of the event is available here