Helmer follows in father's steps
Featured Player: Alexei German Jr.
Set in St. Petersburg in 1914, "Garpastum" traces the lives of four friends on the eve of World War I and the Russian revolution. The four young men, who live only to play soccer, are unaware of the political events swirling around them. The story is based on the lives of the Starostin brothers, two Russian football players who survived the Stalin camps.
The project was originated by Moscow showbiz producer and former sportswriter Alexander Vaynshteyn, and German was interested because it combines a story of youth and passion with a distinct portrayal of Russia's artistic "Silver Age."
His first pic, "The Last Train," a poetic black and white drama set on the eastern front in the last of World War II, won a jury prize as best debut at the Venice Fest two years ago. It went on to screen in over 50 international festivals, so expectations for his second feature have been running high.
But as the son of one of Russia's top directors, Alexei German ("Khrustalyov, My Car!"), the young filmmaker is used to living up to high expectations.
"Of course being the son of Alexei German must have influenced me," he admits, "but I never really thought about it much when I was growing up." With his mother Svetlana Karmalita also in the film business as screenwriter and longtime collaborator of his father, becoming a film director was almost pre-ordained.
"I can't really remember deciding to be a director," says German., "My mother just told me she wanted to send me to VGIK, the Russian film school, so I went."
While German has made his home in Moscow since graduating from VGIK, he has shot both of his films in his native St. Petersburg.
"It is much cheaper than Moscow, of course," he says, "but the main reason is that it is much easier to find interesting locations."
Both of his films are set against the background of war between Russia and Germany. "When you live in a country where 35 million people died during World War II and you have seen documentaries about fascists from your childhood, you cannot help being interested. What I am concerned about is how quickly the public has forgotten these events. It is important to remember if we are to prevent history repeating itself."
German is preparing his next 1960s-set film, which will be produced by Phenomenon Films, a company he has set up with Ilya Khrzhanovsky, another young Russian director. The two want to produce European-style films and plan to tap into the Euro co-production scene both for funding and to reach a wider audience.
