The documentary film "The Holy Archipelago" will be shown on big screens from March 8 in more than 100 cities of Russia. The release of a new teaser of the film is timed to coincide with this event.
The painting "The Holy Archipelago" touches on the deep meanings of being, faith, hope and love. This is a large-scale narrative about the life of the Solovetsky monastery. What is a person's spiritual life? What is a religious tradition and what kind of reflection does it find in the modern world? How does faith in God affect people's lives? Conversations with monks make up the substantial part of the film. Here we will find serious reflections and answers to questions that are important for every person. The content of the picture is in harmony with the amazing beauty and scale of the shooting. The film was shot for the big screen in 6K format.
The premiere of the film took place within the framework of the 44th MIFF, where it became the best documentary and received the Silver St. George prize. In five months, the film was recognized by film experts and collected 15 Russian and international awards, including the Grand Prix of the XXVII International Festival "Radonezh", the first prize "For the best documentary film" of the XIX International Film Festival "Radiant Angel", the prize for cinematography of the 33rd Festival of documentary films "Russia" and many others. In January, the film received the first international award — the Main prize of the Serbian International Monthly Film Carnival.
Sergey Debizhev is a director and screenwriter of a large number of films recognized by a wide audience. His film "The Last Knight of the Empire" was nominated for the Nika Award for the best non-fiction film, and the film "Crimea Heavenly" became a nominee for the best documentary at the MIFF 2020.
Sergey Debizhev, the author of the film:
– The success of the film "Holy Archipelago" can be explained, perhaps, by divine intervention. For the first time in the history of the main film forum in our country, a Russian non-fiction film won a prize at the MIFF. At the main film festivals of 2022, the film received a record number of awards. It's nice that film critics and critics have also awarded us the main prize. All festival screenings were held in crowded halls. Yes, we understand that our film has everything: deep themes, wise advice, sacred meanings, large-scale shooting, world-class image quality. However, it seems to me that the growing avalanche of interest in the picture suggests that people are longing for a movie that appeals not to instincts, but to the soul and heart of a person. "The Holy Archipelago" is a documentary film, but its artistic side is made so vividly and expressively that it translates it into some new quality, a new understanding of reality as a divine creation.
Maya Manerova, Managing Partner of the cinema distribution company "Cinema.Art.Pro":
– As part of the premiere screenings, we saw a great response from the audience – many asked when it would be possible to watch the film in the cinema. This is not surprising, because the film touches on spiritual and historical aspects that are close or at least remotely familiar to every person in our country. We plan to show the "Holy Archipelago" in more than 100 cities of Russia. It is important for us to convey to the viewer the fullness of the atmosphere of the Solovetsky Archipelago, unique in every sense. This, in my opinion, is only possible when watching a movie on big screens.
