Bykov, Yuri Anatolyevich

Yuri Anatolievich Bykov was born on August 15, 1981 in the city of Novomichurinsk, Ryazan Region. At first, he lived with his parents in a trailer ^[1] . Bykov's father was a driver by profession, his mother worked at the Novomichurinsky large-panel house-building plant. Around 1987, his father left for Tyumen and Yuri did not see him again. Up to about 12 years old, Bykov lived with one mother. Later, the mother remarried, her stepfather worked as a crane operator in a power plant ^{[2] [3] [4]} .

In response to a question about chernukha in his own films he noted: “ And what can a person who his mother woke up take in order to go stole cabbage from the collective farm field at night, because there was nothing? ” ^[5] , also indicating that after coming to the field he met there another 500 hungry people who also needed to not come across the police ^[6] . In an interview in 2013, Bykov said that the problem of lack of well-being and social tension in Russia was still relevant, and cited data that at that time his mother was paying 1,700 rubles a month for work in the small hospital of Novomichurinsk, and Ryazan state district power station , where she works his stepfather are about to close ^[7] .

Bykov pointed out that during his youth he “saw, for example, how people move by car to punishment” and knew that many in Novomichurinsk entered different criminal groups due to lack of money ^[8] . For some time, until the end of the school, he himself carried out small orders of one group: “ Somewhere, whistle something, turn the car over. And there were big serious guys who were in charge of business. I have not reached this level. He fell off very quickly . ” He noted that he had left, because after two drives into the basement with his head in his sugar bag, he realized that he was afraid of such work ^[6] .

He was fond of literature, wrote stories and poems to a local newspaper, went to a music school ^[2] , played in music groups, worked as an arranger in a local studio ^[9] . He studied well at school, but from the ninth grade he “rolled down almost to two” due to the loss of interest in learning and focusing on creativity ^[4] .

After graduating from school, Yuri Bykov worked as a loader for two weeks, then for the next two to three years, he was a disco operator and stage engineer at a culture club, and he also attended a theater circle.

Then he tried to enter the actor in various educational institutions, but did not go through the competition. Later, Boris Georgievich Nevzorov visited Novomichurinsk and watched local performances, thanks to which Bykov was able to please the national artist and director and enroll in his daughter course at GITIS . Six months later, he moved from GITIS to VGIK , where there was a free place, and studied at VGIK for four years ^{[2] [3]} .

In 2005 he graduated from the acting faculty of VGIK (workshop of V. Grammatikov ).

Played in theaters: Moscow Art Theater , " Et Cetera ", Theater of the Moon , Theater of the Russian Army ^[9] . In the latter, he played a major role in the play “ The Marriage of Belugin ”, but left during the rehearsal due to the low salary (3000 rubles) and loss of interest ^[8] . He played small roles in films and television series. For six years he was an animated clown in the Armenian children’s club “Yauza” ^[2] , where he played the role of Jack Sparrow ^[5] .

From 2005 to 2009 he shot commercials ^[10] and tried to shoot short films. By my own admission, the pictures turned out to be very bad, because “I listened to everyone on the site a lot, instead of making decisions myself” ^[5] . In 2006, he shot the six-minute film "Happiness", in 2007 the five-minute film "String" and in 2008 the fourteen-minute film "Evening" ^[10] .

In 2009, he shot the short film “The Chief,” in which he performed as a screenwriter, director, composer, producer and actor. The film was awarded the main prize in the competition "Kinotavr. Short meter ”at the Kinotavr film festival ^[11] . The film was shot on the accumulated by the director 150 thousand rubles, which Bykov refused to invest in his studies at the directing department of VGIK with V. Yu. Abdrashitov , where he was credited twice ^[12] .

In 2010, he shot the first full-length film " Live ." Psychological action drama was awarded prizes at the international festival " Stalker " and local festivals in Smolensk and Blagoveshchensk .

He was the director of the series "The Village" , but left directly from the set, because he did not want to "take off hack" ^[13] . Bykov’s ideological disagreements with the producers of the series dedicated to the events before the massacre in the village of Kushchevskaya consisted in Bykov trying to find out the reasons for the great fear of people before the “ Hoes ”, while the producers sought to release a sentimental melodrama. Bykov also noted that in the future, “Hoe” was shown in the series “very personal” ^{[4] [14]} . The final reason for leaving was the moment when Bykov turned to one of the actors with the words “ Do you know what? Here it is written like this, but let's think about it, maybe the character is at that moment ... ”, to which the actor replied:“ Listen, get away from me. Now I need to say all this crap in the camera, but I didn’t even read it. ” Kinotelefilm paid 2,152,500 rubles for his departure, according to a court decision ^{[14] [15]} .

In 2013, the film “ Major ” was premiered as part of the “Criticism Week” at the Cannes Film Festival ^[16] . The crime drama was awarded at several festivals, including the prizes "For the best film", "For the best directing" and "For outstanding artistic contribution" at the sixteenth Shanghai International Film Festival . In 2016-2017 The American company Netflix received the rights to show and re-shot the film in the format of the mini-series "Seven Seconds" ( Seven Seconds ), which includes 10 episodes. In an adapted plot, a white policeman tried to hide his shots at a black boy. ^{[17] [18]} The premiere of the miniseries took place on February 23, 2018.

In 2014, the socio-dramatic film "The Fool " was released. The film received a number of prestigious awards, including the G. Gorin Prize for the best screenplay and diploma of the Guild of Film Critics and Film Critics (“For the Uncompromising Artistic Expression”) at the Kinotavr- 2014 festival. At the beginning of 2017, the film was one of two Russian films with a rating on KinoPoisk of more than eight points ^[19] . Also, the film was especially noted by one of the three main film critics of The New York Times , Stephen Holden putting him in fourth place in the list of five best films of 2015 according to the newspaper ^[20] .

In 2014, he became the director of the first season of the television series Method , which was released next year. He was invited to the shooting thanks to Konstantin Khabensky , who liked the film "Major". Bykov notes that he shot the series “on the principles of comics” in its light form and followed the instructions of show runner Alexander Tsekalo about “Russian HBO ” , for which Bykov studied the spectacular brutal-realistic style with a deep study of the characters of the American HBO ^[21] . The series received the TEFI Award in the Television Film / Series category and several other awards. Bykov refused to participate in the filming of the second season of the series due to the lack of novelty in this experience, as well as due to the focus on auteur cinema instead of commercial directing and making money ^[22] .

He shot two-thirds of the film " Time of the First ", dedicated to Alexei Leonov and his spacewalk, but because of creative differences, he was removed from the project ^[23] . According to Timur Bekmambetov , producer of the film, scenes shot by Yuri Bykov remain in the film. In an interview, Bykov noted that he did not watch the film and did not feel the desire to watch it because of a complete change in history, which was originally more radical, because of the simplification of the film’s direction, which was primarily “humanly” , towards absolute patriotism with the right heroes, and also because of the orientation to the audience "to put it mildly, the level of" Auchan "" , like other rental films. Bykov pointed out that, as far as he knew, the film was completely re-shot, with the possible exception of one scene that could not be repeated due to unrecoverable scenery ^[22] .

In 2016, he established the Koda film company to significantly reduce the cost of administering his own copyright films and improve the overall control of the filming process. It is assumed that non-standard non-conveyor films will be created at the studio ^[22] .

In 2016, he finished filming the action-packed series Sleeping , based on a script by Sergey Minaev . Bykov notes that at the beginning of the project there was talk about the possibility of an author's series, but then he became an ordinary hired director without the right to participate in post-production , including editing. Therefore, Bykov indicates that he cannot assume "creative responsibility" for the series, and expresses surprise that the stage of post-production was entrusted to the producer Elena Lapina, who had not previously participated in any project ^[22] . On October 13, 2017, Bykov announced his withdrawal from the cinema based on the filming of the series Sleeping , saying that having removed it, he “betrayed the entire progressive generation that wanted to change something in this country” ^[24].

Yuri Bykov called himself a socialist , adherent of the left and a patriot. With understanding refers to the old liberal intelligentsia, focused on dissidents . He does not accept “ glamorous, pro-Western oriented youth who are ready even tomorrow to sell their roots and our common values ​​in order to bargain for themselves a zone of vital comfort ” ^[25] . Does not recognize himself as a dissident. He considers himself far from the “Westerners” and from the authorities, but close to the people: “ I am not for Sobchak and not for Putin . I am for Ivan Ivanov, who works as a miner in Vorkuta ” ^[26] .

In 2015, Yuri Bykov was going to make a film about the war in eastern Ukraine ^[27] . But after meeting with a significant number of sources, I decided to postpone this project: “I can’t draw the right conclusions yet and am completely confused about this topic . ” Bykov also noted that it is very likely that the state could finance such a film if the pro-Russian point of view dominates in it, but it does not need such a state order ^[28] . Later, Bykov noted that “there is no unequivocal truth on either side” and that he intends to personally visit the Donbass , talk with people and further objectively understand the problem ^[25] .

He has the following religious views: “ I am aware that believing in myths is an insult to common sense. I am not saying that there is no God . He is. But this is not a man with a beard. God is, in principle, everything. God is not good, not bad. He is the one who shapes this whole space, regardless of our desires and prayers . ” Does not accept killing another person as an answer or punishment, "even if you were raped, your loved ones were killed . " Bykov pointed out that several times " money with sticks" was taken from him on the street, and in this situation he later managed to escape. But if the only chance of salvation in such a situation would be the killing of these people, he would have to kill them and then go through difficult internal experiences ^[29] . He considers Astafiev , Rasputin and Shukshin ^{[26] to be} his moral authority in his work.

He does not consider himself a happy person, for the same reason he does not want to have children. He admitted that after filming "Fool" was in suicidal depression for about six months ^[29] .

In his films, Bykov refrains from happy endings , since he considers a happy end an artificial phenomenon for dramatic films and life in general, where it is impossible. As an example, he cites the story of his two friends who lived next to him in Novomichurinsk. Their mother died of cancer, their father drank from grief, the first brother also died of alcohol, and the second found cancer. He believes that the purification of a person, his catharsis is possible through compassion ^{[30] [31]} .

Sleeping Movie Application

On October 13, 2017, he made a public condemnation of his work on the series Sleepers and stated that he was going to leave the movie ^[32] . In his statement, published on the VKontakte social network, the director indicated that "he had betrayed the entire progressive generation that wanted to change something ." The director explained his act as follows ^[32] :

I can’t say that I didn’t understand what I was going for, but apparently I didn’t fully realize how unforgivable it was to be insufficiently accurate, honest and accurate with the theme in the series Sleeping. Hundreds of honest people have suffered from the regime and the arbitrariness of power that I tried to defend in this series. The desire to make a contribution against the Orange Revolution in the country, based on patriotism, is a laudable goal, but completely archaic. People still have to protest and demand justice, otherwise there will be no change.

Bykov apologized to the audience, who liked his previous works ^[32] .

Ruslan Tatarintsev, producer of the film Zavod, noted that after Bykov’s statement, “ all the directors, actors, channel leaders ” called him, as well as former coach of CSKA and the Russian national team Leonid Slutsky , who persuaded Bykov not to take criticism for forty minutes. According to Tatarintsev, " in a week, Yura realized that no one would let him go anywhere from the cinema " ^[33] .

Film director Emir Kusturica included Bykov's film “Major” in the out-of-competition program “Modern Trends” of his International Film and Music Festival “Kustendorf” . The program, noted Kusturitsa, included “some of the best films” of 2013, and indicated that Bykov was “very talented” : “ Those prerequisites that are now available make it possible to put it on a par with the same Ozone , regardless of what he is very young and that this is only the beginning. <...> As I heard, Bykov is making a new film. I think that he will have a big directorial career ” ^{[34] [35]} .

The film director Andrei Zvyagintsev at a meeting in the Yasnaya Polyana recreation center noted that Yuri Bykov is “a very talented person, a very strong director” . Zvyagintsev pointed out that he appreciates the film “The Fool ” and the film “Major” less clearly: “Because, it seems to me, he somehow failed to do something in the finale . ” Zvyagintsev also noted that he once handed over to Bykov “so that he would not engage in nonsense” and continued his directorial activity at the time when Bykov wanted to stop making his films ^[36] .

Director

• 2009 - Head (Short)
• 2010 - Live
• 2012 - Cash collectors (television series)
• 2013 - Major
• 2014 - The Fool
• 2014 - Fir - trees 1914 (short story "The Bear")
• 2015 - Method (television series)
• 2017 - Sleeping (TV series)
• 2018 - Factory
• 2019 - Watchman

Screenwriter

• 2009 - Head (Short)
• 2010 - Live
• 2013 - Major
• 2014 - The Fool
• 2018 - Factory
• 2019 - Watchman

Composer

• 2010 - Live
• 2013 - Major
• 2014 - The Fool
• 2018 - Factory

Producer

• 2009 - Head (Short)
• 2018 - Factory

Actor

• 2006 - Everything mixed up in the house ... - Gennady Petrovich Demidov
• 2007 - Soldiers 13 - Soponar
• 2007 - Sea Soul - Vadik
• 2008 - S.S.D. - masked maniac
• 2009 - Head - Captain of the FSB
• 2009 - Keys to Happiness - Oleg
• 2009 - Tanks are not afraid of mud - Sergeant Vadim Smirnov
• 2009 - Law and Order: Operational Investigation Department 3 - Zhora Semenov
• 2009 - Two Sisters 2 - Bandit
• 2009 - Always say “always” 5
• 2009 - Chain
• 2009 - Wild
• 2010 - Soldiers 16: Dembel is Inevitable - Private Nikolai Soponar
• 2012 - Collectors - robber
• 2013 - Major - Pavel Korshunov
• 2015 - Method - “Thin”, detective
• 2017 - Lights of a large village
• 2017 - Sleeping - Glory, Demoman
• 2018 - Children - Mitya
• 2019 - Seize the moment - Director
• 2019 - How to get married. Instructions - Fireman
• 2019 - Watchman - Vlad

The Chief Movie

• Kinotavr Film Festival -2009 - the main prize in the Kinotavr. Short meter "
• International Festival of Short Films "Interfest" in Berlin - special prize ^[38]

The film "Live"

• International Stalker Human Rights Film Festival - Debut Stalker Prize for Feature Film ^[39]
• Taipei Film Festival - special jury prize ^[40]
• Golden Phoenix Festival (Smolensk) - prize in the Debut nomination ^[9]
• Amur Autumn Festival (Blagoveshchensk) - special prize of the General Producer of the festival ^[41]

The Major Movie

• 16th Shanghai International Film Festival ^[42] :
  • Prize for the best film (unanimous decision of the jury ^[43] )
  • Prize for Best Director and Outstanding Artistic Contribution
• 66th Cannes Film Festival - participation in the "week of criticism."
• Kinotavr-2013 Film Festival - nomination for the prize For the best film of the film festival .
• The film was shown at the Moscow International Film Festival-2013 , VII International Film Festival "Mirror" named after Andrei Tarkovsky .
• Prize "New Genre" (Nouveau Genre Award) of the L'Étrange Festival 2013 (France). The prize was established by the French television channel Canal + Cinéma.
• The film won the nomination "The most relevant youth story" at the V Moscow Open Festival of Youth Cinema "Reflection" in Zelenograd (2013) ^[44] .
• Prize for the best director of the 23rd festival of East European films in Cottbus , Germany (2013) ^[45] .
• 7th festival “ Sputnik over Poland ”, Warsaw - the second prize of the festival with the formulation For a touching, stressful image of reality, shot according to the best examples of the genre ^{[46] [47]} .
• The 32nd Fajr International Film Festival in Iran - a special jury prize ^[48] .
• International Independent Film Festival in Romania "ANONIMUL" - Grand Prix 2013 ^[49] .
• 5th Pristina International Film Festival - prize for best directing ^[50] .
• Festival "Golden Phoenix" (Smolensk) - Grand Prix "Diamond Phoenix" ^[51] .
• Amur Autumn Festival (Blagoveshchensk) - prize for the best script ^[52] .
• The Nika Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Nika Award nomination for Best Director's Work .
• IV festival of young European cinema Voices - audience award ^[53] .
• XXII Film Festival “Vivat Cinema of Russia!” (St. Petersburg) - prize for Best Actor ^[54] .

The Fool Movie

• Kinotavr- 2014 Film Festival ^[55] :
  • prize to them. G. Gorin for the best screenplay
  • Diploma of the Guild of Film Critics and Film Critics (“For the Uncompromising Artistic Expression”)
  • People's Choice Award
• Locarno Film Festival ^[56] :
  • ecumenical jury prize
  • Youth Jury Prize
• Festival of European Cinema "Des Arcs" in Grenoble ^[57] :
  • Grand Prix - Crystal Arrow
  • Youth Jury Award
• Arras International Film Festival ^[58] :
  • silver satin
  • People's Choice Award
  • youth jury prize
• Film award " Nika ":
  • script award
  • Best Film Award nomination of the year
• Dublin International Film Festival - prize in the nomination "Best Screenplay" ^[59]
• XXI Minsk International Film Festival " Listapad " - prize "For Best Director" ^[60]
• 39th Cleveland International Film Festival - George Gund III Prize (Central and Eastern European Film Competition) ^[61]
• Uruguay International Human Rights Film Festival - Best Feature Film Prize ^[62]
• 8th festival of Russian cinema " Sputnik over Poland "( Warsaw ) ^[63] :
  • second prize
  • People's Choice Award
• 43rd International Film Festival "FEST" in Belgrade - special jury prize ^[64]
• International Film Festival of Central and Eastern Europe LET'S CEE - honorary review ^[65]
• 2nd International Film Festival “KINO. Films from Russia and not only ”( Geneva and Lausanne ) - special prize ^{[66] [67]}
• Montclair Film Festival - special jury prize for the script ^[68]
• L'Aquila Film Festival - Special Mention ^[69]
• Richmond International Film Festival - Best Music Award ^[70]
• George Award in the Russian Drama of the Year category ^[71]
• 5th Trans-Baikal Film Festival (Chita) - prize for the best film of the festival ^[72]
• Golden Phoenix Festival (Smolensk) - a special prize named after the writer Boris Vasiliev with the wording “ for recklessness and honest reflection of life ” ^[73]
• One of the three main film critics of The New York Times is Stephen Holden put the film "Fool" in fourth place in the list of five best films of 2015 according to the newspaper ^[20]

The film "Christmas Trees 1914" (short story "The Bear")

• Nomination for the Georges Prize in the Russian Comedy of the Year category ^[74] .

The television series Method

• TEFI Award in the category “Television Film / TV Series”.
• New York Film Festival Award in the category "Crime Drama" ^[75] .
• Houston International Film Festival Platinum Award ^[76] .
• George Award in the category Russian Series of the Year (Drama).
• Nominated for the Golden Eagle Award for Best Television Series .

• Бег зайца по полям. «Жить», режиссёр Юрий Быков (неопр.) . Искусство кино (2010, август). Дата обращения 6 июня 2014.
• Юрий Быков: «Современная российская критика относится ко мне достаточно скептически» (неопр.) . ПрофиСинема (13 мая 2013). Дата обращения 17 февраля 2015.
• «Я не хочу, чтобы на Западе думали, будто я приехал пожаловаться» (неопр.) . Известия (20 августа 2014). Дата обращения 21 августа 2014.