Andrey ZVIAGINTSEV
Андрей ЗВЯГИНЦЕВ
Andreï ZVIAGUINTSEV
Russia, 2010, 109mn 
Colour, fiction
Yelena
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Елена

 

 Elena

 Elena

 
Directed by : Andrey ZVIAGINTSEV (Андрей ЗВЯГИНЦЕВ)
Writing credits : Oleg NEGIN (Олег НЕГИН), Andrey ZVIAGINTSEV (Андрей ЗВЯГИНЦЕВ)
 
Cast
Nadezhda MARKINA (Надежда МАРКИНА) ...Yelena
Andrey SMIRNOV (Андрей СМИРНОВ) ...Vladimir
Yuri BORISOV (Юрий БОРИСОВ)
Aleksey ROZIN (Алексей РОЗИН) ...Sergey
Yelena LIADOVA (Елена ЛЯДОВА) ...Katerina
Rustam AKHMADEYEV (Рустам АХМАДЕЕВ)
Anna GULYARENKO (Анна ГУЛЯРЕНКО)
Oxana SEMYONOVA (Оксана СЕМЕНОВА)
 
Cinematography : Mikhail KRICHMAN (Михаил КРИЧМАН)
Sound : Sergey BUBENKO (Сергей БУБЕНКО)
Produced by : Aleksandr RODNYANSKY (Александр РОДНЯНСКИЙ)
Production : AR Films
Film revenue in Russia : 0.6996 million dollars
 
Sites : Allociné, IMDb
Release date in France : 2012-03-07, Site

Awards :
Best feature film Golden Eagle awards, Moscow (Russia), 2012
Best directing Golden Eagle awards, Moscow (Russia), 2012
Best Actress in a Supporting Role Yelena LIADOVA , Golden Eagle awards, Moscow (Russia), 2012
Best Cinematography Mikhail KRICHMAN , Golden Eagle awards, Moscow (Russia), 2012
Special Jury prize, Un certain regard, Festival de Cannes, Cannes (France), 2011
First prize Film Festival Ghent, Ghent (Belgium), 2011
Best actress Nadezhda MARKINA , Seville European Film Festival : SEFF, Seville (Spain), 2011
Best actress International Film Festival of India : IFFI, Goa (India), 2011
Best film Award "White Elephant", Moscow (Russia), 2011
Best directing Award "White Elephant", Moscow (Russia), 2011
Best Actress in a Supporting Role Yelena LIADOVA , Award "White Elephant", Moscow (Russia), 2011
Best directing "NIKA" Prizes, Moscow (Russia), 2011
Best actress Nadezhda MARKINA , "NIKA" Prizes, Moscow (Russia), 2011
Best Actress in a Supporting Role Yelena LIADOVA , "NIKA" Prizes, Moscow (Russia), 2011
Best Cinematography Mikhail KRICHMAN , "NIKA" Prizes, Moscow (Russia), 2011
Winner of the 2010 Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award

DVD with subtitles
Editor : Pyramide Vidéo. 2012. Titre : Elena

Plot synopsis
The central character of Zvyagintsev’s new film is a middle-aged woman named Elena. She leads a calm, prosperous life in her cozy apartment. In the evenings, she watches television serials, while her husband Vladimir, who prefers to watch sporting events, sleeps in their lavish bedroom next door. In the morning, they meet over breakfast and trade perfunctory small talk. Elena’s only problem is her unemployed alcoholic son. He lives with his family in a poor building complex on the outskirts of the city – and he always needs money. Once a month, Elena goes to visit her grandchildren and give her son some cash. Elena’s husband, meanwhile, has no intention of forking over his money. He barely has the patience for his wife, who so readily gives her pension to her son. One day, Vladimir has a heart attack and the issue of inheritance comes up. Elena develops a plan to save her son, which changes this gentle, likeable woman beyond recognition.
Source Action_Berlinale_02-2011
 

Commentaries and bibliography
RUSSIA BEYOND : Cinq films d'Andreï Zviaguintsev que vous devriez regarder au plus vite, Valeria PAÏKOVA, RUSSIA BEYOND, 2022
The Most Significant Russian Films of the Last Decade [2005-2016], Academic Studies Press, 2019
Elena. Histoire Du Film d'Andrei Zviaguintsev, Joël CHAPRON, Mikhail KRITCHMAN, Oleg NEGUINE, Cygnnet, 2014
Andrei Zviagintsev: Elena (2011), Mariya KONDRATOVA, kinokultura.com, 2013
"Je voulais raconter l'effondrement d'une âme". Entretien avec Andreï Zviaguintsev, réalisateur du film Elena, Thomas SOTINEL, Interview, lemonde.fr, 2012
Елена, jiphel.wordpress.com, 2012
Elena - la critique, Christophe BUTELET, avoir-alire.com, 2012
Elena : ciel gris, Eric NEUHOFF, lefigaro.fr, 2012
Elena : Crime sans châtiment. Interview de Andreï Zviaguintsev, Alexis GENG, Interview, allocine.fr, 2012
Elena : un portrait acerbe de la Russie, Thibault FLEURET, nouvelobs.com, 2012
Elena , crime sans châtiment, Pascal MERIGEAU, nouvelobs.com, 2012
Andreï Zviaguintsev : « En Russie, les classes aisées se réfugient dans leur coquille », Arnaud SCHWARTZ, Interview, la-croix.com, 2012
Andreï Zviaguintsev : « Je suis d'un cinéma où tout est pensé… », Sophie AVON, Interview, sudouest.fr, 2012
Andrei Zvyagintsev: "J'opère un diagnostic médical de notre société russe", Thomas BAUREZ, Interview, lexpress.fr, 2012
Cinéma Russe : Anguelina NIKONOVA - Andreï ZVIAGUINTSEV [Enregistrement sonore], Angelina NIKONOVA, Andrey ZVIAGINTSEV, franceinter.fr, 2012
Жоэль Шапрон : "Похоже, что Россия наконец решила заняться экспортом своих фильмов", Interview, kinoglaz.fr, 2012
Elena, existences parallèles, Anne-Marie PIETTE, pieuvre.ca, 2012
Evolving Russia Finds a Recorder of Its Moment Elena and Its Director, Andrei Zvyagintsev, Sophia KISHKOVSKY, nytimes.com, 2012
Joël Chapron : "La Russie semble avoir enfin décidé de prendre en main l’exportation de ses films", Interview, kinoglaz.fr, 2012
Les 11 meilleurs films russes de 2011, Maria FADEEVA, RUSSIA BEYOND, 2012
Moscou d'éclats. Avec Elena, Zviaguintsev peint avec talent les tensions sourdes et violentes de la société russe., Olivier SEGURET, liberation.fr, 2012
Elena, la lutte classe d’Andreï Zviaguintsev, Olivier SEGURET, liberation.fr, 2011
Elena , Howard Feinstein, screendaily.com, 2011
Андрей Звягинцев: Богатые и бедные… Невозможность выбора… [О фильме Елена], Larisa MALUKOVA, novayagazeta.ru, 2011
Дочки-мачехи [О фильме Елена], Igor MANTSOV, seance.ru, 2011
Имя собственное Елена, Anton DOLIN, Искусство кино, 6, 2011
Un Russe remporte la palme de l'originalité, Irina LIOUBARSKAYA, Interview, larussiedaujourdhui.fr, 2011
 

Selected in the following festivals or events :
- Russian or Soviet films awarded at Berlin, Cannes or Venice, kinoglaz.fr (France), 2023
- Rétrospective Andreï Zviaguintsev au Louxor et Nouvel Odéon, Paris (France), 2023
- Russian Film Festival For Another Russia, Paris (France), 2022
- Reflets du cinéma de la Mer Noire en Mayenne, Different cities (France), 2022
- Russian Film Festival For Another Russia, Paris (France), 2022
- Rencontres du 7ème art à Lausanne, Lausanne (Switzerland), 2019
- Cairo International Film Festival, Cairo (Egypt), 2018
- Angers Festival Premiers Plans, Angers (France), 2016
- Carthage Film Festival, Carthage (Tunisia), 2016
- Honfleur Russian Film Festival, Honfleur (France), 2014
- Trois Jours de cinéma russe à La Ciotat, La Ciotat (France), 2013
- Strasbourg two weeks of Russian cinema, Strasbourg (France), 2013
- Russian film symposium. University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh (USA), 2013
- Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil ), 2012
- The Russian Masters, Montreal (Canada), 2012
- Hong-Kong International Film Festival, Hong Kong (China), 2012
- Prague International Film Festival : Febiofest, Prague (Czech Republic), 2012
- Release in France of the film, Different cities (France), 2012-03-07
- Festival de films russes Kinorama au cinéma Royal de Biarritz, Biarritz (France), 2012
- Festival de cinéma russe à Marly, Marly (France), 2012
- Russian Film Festival, Orléans (France), 2012
- Days of Russian cinema in Limoges, Limoges (France), 2012
- Europe around Europe, Paris (France), 2012
- Festival of russian culture, Quimperlé (France), 2012
- Festival l'Avenue du cinéma, Paris (France), 2012
- Cinémas russes à Montauban, Montauban (France), 2012
- The Dublin International Film Festival, Dublin (Ireland), 2012
- Trieste Film Festival, Trieste (Italy), 2012
- Tromso International Film Festival : TIFF, Tromso (Norway), 2012
- Sputnik nad Polska, Warsaw (Poland), 2012
- Era New Horizons IFF, Wroclaw (Poland), 2012
- International Film Festival Tarkovski, Ivanovo (Russia), 2012
- Golden Eagle awards, Moscow (Russia), 2012
- "Spirit of Fire" International Debut Film Festival, Khanty Mansiysk (Russia), 2012
- Sundance Film Festival, Park City (USA), 2012
- Sedona International Film Festival, Sedona (Arizona) (USA), 2012
- Palm Springs International Film Festival, Palm Springs (USA), 2012
- Seattle International Film Festival : SIFF, Seattle (USA), 2012
- Russian Resurrection Film Festival, Different cities (Australia), 2011
- Film Festival Ghent, Ghent (Belgium), 2011
- Sao Paulo International Film Festival, Sao Paulo (Brazil ), 2011
- Vancouver International Film Festival, Vancouver (Canada), 2011
- New Cinema Festival, Montreal (Canada), 2011
- Toronto International Film Festival, Toronto (Canada), 2011
- Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic), 2011
- Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival : PÖFF, Tallinn (Estonia), 2011
- Helsinki International Film Festival, Helsinki (Finland), 2011
- Arras International Film Festival, Arras (France), 2011
- Les rencontres des cinémas d'Europe, Aubenas (France), 2011
- Honfleur Russian Film Festival, Honfleur (France), 2011
- Festival de Cannes, Cannes (France), 2011
- Russian Film Week in Paris : Regards de Russie, Paris (France), 2011
- FilmFestival Cottbus - Festival of East European Cinema, Cottbus (Germany), 2011
- Thessaloniki International Film Festival, Thessaloniki (Greece), 2011
- International Film Festival of India : IFFI, Goa (India), 2011
- Haifa International Film Festival, Haifa (Israel), 2011
- "NIKA" Prizes, Moscow (Russia), 2011
- International Film Festival of the Commonwealth Countries "Moscow Premiere", Moscow (Russia), 2011
- "Vyborg" Russian Film Festival (formerly ''A Window to Europe''), Vyborg (Russia), 2011
- Award "White Elephant", Moscow (Russia), 2011
- Moscow International Film Festival (MIFF), Moscow (Russia), 2011
- Award "White Elephant", Moscow (Russia), 2011
- Open Russian Film Festival Kinotavr, Sochi (Russia), 2011
- Art Film Festival, Trencin (Slovakia), 2011
- Seville European Film Festival : SEFF, Seville (Spain), 2011
- Antalya "Golden Orange" International Film Festival, Antalya (Turkey), 2011
- Middle East International Film Festival : MEIFF, Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), 2011
- Russian Film Festival, London (United Kingdom), 2011

Photos and videos
 
Trailer