Who is this man seemingly taken from the work of Gogol?

The legendary Oleg Nikolaevitch Karavaychuk is the enigmatic and extraordinary protagonist of this film from director Andrés Duque.  Moved by the music composed by the pianist for a Kira Muratova film, Duque is the first foreigner to gain the trust of the ever active and eccentric 89-year-old Russian.

A brief biography: Oleg Nikolaevitch Karavaychuk (1927) was a child prodigy who played piano for Stalin, attended the Leningrad Conservatory, and, who, over the course of his career, has written music primarily for theatre and film, for example for Parajanov and Muratova.  In Russia, he is admired not only for his music and his playing style, but also for his unique and eccentric personality.  At 89 years old, Karavaychuk remains a controversial and puzzling figure in Russian culture.

The beautiful film dedicated to him by Andrés Duque is a gift for the viewer, a gift from an old artist who, away from all social convention, wishes to reconcile with the world, transporting us away from reality with his words, his gestures and his piano playing, to a world where the disturbing dissonances bring with them a liberating beauty.

Andrés Duque: Venezuelan filmmaker.  His best known work is Iván Z, a portrayal of cult filmmaker Iván Zulueta which earned him a Goya Award nomination.  In 2011, he directed his first feature film, Color perro que huye (Colour Runaway Dog), which premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam and won the audience award at the Punto de Vista Documentary Film Festival.  In 2012, he was among the filmmakers invited to the prestigious Flaherty Seminar held in New York.  In 2013, he received the City of Barcelona Prize for his film Ensayo final para utopia (Dress Rehearsal for Utopia).   

Philipp Engel: Fotogramas editor

Oleg i les rares arts. 90'

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HAMACA

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Arts Santa Mònica