"Our film develops more like music": the director Viktor Shamirov about the film The Temperature of the Universe

The director Viktor Shamirov, the producer Pavel Gorin, and the actors Dariya Semyonova, Olga Tumaykina and Rostislav Bershauer introduced the film The Temperature of the Universe, which is part of the Russian Premieres Competition of the 48th Moscow International Film Festival.

The film tells a story of breakups and reunions. The story takes place in the village of Nizhny Arkhyz in the Caucasus, where the main character, Natasha, decides to surprise her husband, Andrey. While he is away, Natasha invites his childhood friend, the historian Sergey, to visit the village. But instead of a celebration, she receives a call from her husband: he is not going to return from Moscow. Sergey become a witness of a family drama and tries to support Natasha. Together, they figure out what to tell their friends and relatives. Warm feelings gradually begin to develop between Natasha and Sergey.

Viktor Shamirov: "I learned about the existence of this observatory and the village nearby it by chance. I found this geographical point of contact between space and the past to be remarkable; there aren’t many places like this in the world. And I thought that all human relationships deserved such an approach; it’s a good place from a metaphorical perspective. I sometimes watch genre films, but I don’t want to make them. The genre is boring because you know how it will end, it has its rules. Our film develops more like music than a conventional narrative. It’s a great thing that the producer Pasha Gorin could gather people willing to shoot my film. It’s a great thing that such people sometimes come along, and I can make films in a completely "wrong" way, because a script like this grows like a plant. One does not write it based on a formula or some structure".

Dariya Semyonova: "I’ve known Viktor Shamirov for a long time. Talking and working with him is always very interesting and insightful. I’m very grateful they have invited me to this film. Because it’s always an exciting journey: you don’t know what’s coming next, you don’t know what to expect from yourself, so I am deeply thankful for this opportunity".

Pavel Gorin: "It’s very comfortable to work with Vitya because if I agree on something with Viktor, that’s exactly how it will be. Of course, life throws in its share of challenges and complications, but when we can agree on something from the start and then go together, it really gives comfort".

Rostislav Bershauer: "Viktor checks the script himself, so there’s no reason not to trust him. Mastering the lines exactly as they are written means 80 percent of the role. For example, the scene with the kebabs was filmed in a few minutes at sunset. During those 15 minutes, the monologues had to be delivered clearly, precisely, and cleanly, just as-is. On the one hand, it’s a technical challenge; on the other hand, I believe, it’s the natural beauty and serenity that this place has".

Olga Tumaykina: "Viktor Shamirov insists on learning the lines exactly word for word. I work in the theater, and over time I’ve come to realize that if you forget your lines, Anton Chekhov, for example, lets you to use other words instead on-stage during the performance, even Dostoevsky does allow it, but Gogol would never permit this. It’s like a necklace that was made only once, so you have to use the pearls in the exact sequence in which the jeweler crafted them. Viktor Shamirov, in my opinion, comes from this realm of jewelry craftsmanship: when I first addressed each preposition formally, then tried to settle into the area of these prepositions and words, I got accepted, and I was twice happier that now this lives in my head".