The director, screenwriter, and producer Andrei Zaitsev, along with the actors Alexander Adabashian and Polina Gukhman, introduced their film Two People in One Life, and a Dog, participating in the Main Competition of 47th Moscow International Film Festival.
The film tells the story of a married couple of elderly intellectuals from St. Petersburg — and portrays their wisdom, calmness, optimism, patience, and forgiveness. All of which seem lacking in our contemporaries. That’s why others — those feeling lost or in need of help and warmth — are drawn to them and their home, like to a fire in the cold.
Andrei Zaitsev: "A great deal of what’s in the film came directly from Alexander A. Adabashian and Svetlana N. Kryuchkova, who have known each other and been friends for forty years. On set, there was a kind of verbal ping-pong — full of humor and witty irony — and much of that made its way into the film’s dialogue. I originally reached out to Mr. Adabashian, and he was the one to also refer me to Ms. Kryuchkova. There was no need for them to get used to one another; they brought to the film a lived-in sense of life as seen through the lens of their seniority. It’s no secret that Ms. Kryuchkova’s son lives outside of Russia, and since the onset of the pandemic she’s only been able to communicate with him via video calls — it’s been five years now. So for her, this subject is painfully familiar. That’s probably why the part resonated with her. She told me that, as an actor, one ought to rely on actual lived experience. Incidentally, the voice of her real-life granddaughter is heard at the end of the film".
Alexander Adabashian: "I have two children and seven grandchildren, so this setting is very familiar to me — children living on their own, some nearer, some farther away. There was no need to make anything up — it all felt very real and personal. That said, my character doesn’t resemble me very much. Not that he’s better or worse — just different, in his background, in his profession. I, for example, am not originally from Leningrad (St. Petersburg) and have never lived there for any significant amount of time. But the actor’s job for me is always about exploring the character, both during script readings and while filming — to try and understand his nature".
Polina Gukhman: "It was a tremendous joy to work with such great artists as Mr. Adabashian and Ms. Kryuchkova. I’m deeply grateful to Andrei Zaitsev for this opportunity. I think I can say we all became friends on set, and I was learning something new from the cast and the crew every single day, every single moment".
The film tells the story of a married couple of elderly intellectuals from St. Petersburg — and portrays their wisdom, calmness, optimism, patience, and forgiveness. All of which seem lacking in our contemporaries. That’s why others — those feeling lost or in need of help and warmth — are drawn to them and their home, like to a fire in the cold.
Andrei Zaitsev: "A great deal of what’s in the film came directly from Alexander A. Adabashian and Svetlana N. Kryuchkova, who have known each other and been friends for forty years. On set, there was a kind of verbal ping-pong — full of humor and witty irony — and much of that made its way into the film’s dialogue. I originally reached out to Mr. Adabashian, and he was the one to also refer me to Ms. Kryuchkova. There was no need for them to get used to one another; they brought to the film a lived-in sense of life as seen through the lens of their seniority. It’s no secret that Ms. Kryuchkova’s son lives outside of Russia, and since the onset of the pandemic she’s only been able to communicate with him via video calls — it’s been five years now. So for her, this subject is painfully familiar. That’s probably why the part resonated with her. She told me that, as an actor, one ought to rely on actual lived experience. Incidentally, the voice of her real-life granddaughter is heard at the end of the film".
Alexander Adabashian: "I have two children and seven grandchildren, so this setting is very familiar to me — children living on their own, some nearer, some farther away. There was no need to make anything up — it all felt very real and personal. That said, my character doesn’t resemble me very much. Not that he’s better or worse — just different, in his background, in his profession. I, for example, am not originally from Leningrad (St. Petersburg) and have never lived there for any significant amount of time. But the actor’s job for me is always about exploring the character, both during script readings and while filming — to try and understand his nature".
Polina Gukhman: "It was a tremendous joy to work with such great artists as Mr. Adabashian and Ms. Kryuchkova. I’m deeply grateful to Andrei Zaitsev for this opportunity. I think I can say we all became friends on set, and I was learning something new from the cast and the crew every single day, every single moment".