Russian Film Policy

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32392, 3 September 1970, Page 12

Russian Film Policy

Unlike the growing tendency in films made in the West, sex and violence were not encouraged in films made in the Soviet Union, said Mr S. Samsonov, a Russian film director, who has come to New Zealand to launch the Russian Film Festival in Christchurch.

At Christchurch airport last night, after arriving ftom Sydney, he said that achieving a big box-office return was not the prime purpose of making a film in Russia. .

He said the film was generally considered an art form which, apart from providing straight entertainment, could be used to focus attention on social problems of the May or on aspects of history.

Mr Samsonov—who looked like everyone’s idea of a film director, complete with dark glasses which he declined to remove—said the cinema had a big influence on the young and could be use'd to help them grow up in “a right and proper manner.” He said that in Russia there was no censorship of films as the term was generally understood in the West. Films were seen by fellow professionals in the industry who discussed them and where necessary made recommendations to the director. But the final say was that of the director. Mr Samsonov said there was certainly no indiscriminate cutting of films. Although they did not receive the very high salaries paid to actors and actresses in Hollywood the Russian film industry had what could be described as a "star system.” Salaries were not outrageously high) but were enough to maintain a good standard of living, he said. As in Hollywood. films were sometimes built round a star but very often the story came first and the actors were fitted in. Most actors and actresses in the Soviet film industry were graduates of acting or cinema-

tography colleges although it sometimes happened that a director would seek new talent from among non-profes-sionals. At present, he said, there were an estimated 290,000 cinemas in the world, of which 140,000 were in the Soviet Union. Mr Samsonov said Russians loved the cinema and the main problems nowadays was in providing more theatres.

As yet the film industry was not facing much real competition from television although it was likely that it would be soon. Mr Samsonov said that such film festivals as the present one, which will also be screened in Wellington and Auckland, helped to establish better cultural relations between countries. New Zealand was very far from the Soviet Union but the showing of Russian films here would perhaps help New Zealanders to understand his country a little better. He said the selection of the films in the current festival ranged from the civil war to life in Russia today and all of them had gained international awards. Mr Samsonov directed “An

Optimistic Tragedy” which stars his wife, Margarita Volodina, who arrived with him last night. Miss Volodina is one of the leading screen actresses in Russia. It is her second visit to New Zealand. Also with Mr and Mrs Samsonov was Mr E. Ishmukamedov, one of the younger school of Russian film directors, whose second film, “Sweethearts,” is included in the festival. Mr and Mrs Samsonov are both employed by Mosfllm, one of the country’s largest film studios. Mr Ishmukamedov, who speaks commendable English, is from Uzbekistan. He lives with his wife in Moscow but travels to Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan, for his film productions.

The trio will be in Christchurch until Saturday when they leave for Wellington. On Tuesday afternoon the three Russians will meet the Prime Minister (Sir Keith Holyoake), Before coming to New Zealand they opened a film festival in Australia which, said Mr Samsonov, was “a great, unexpected, success.” The photograph shows Mr Ishmuwkamedov (left) and Mr Samsonov.