The famous actor and director Evgeny Tsyganov is making a short film, the main character of which is a metro builder. One of the film sketch scenes was created deep underground. Our correspondent found out why the construction site of the future Rzhevskaya station of the Big Circle Line was chosen for filming.
You have already tried yourself as a film director once. In 2010, they filmed a short film “Random Waltz” about a soldier who lost both legs in the war. Why, after almost ten years, did you decide to return to this experience?
– I have long had different thoughts about what I would like to talk about. The story we are filming now also arose quite a long time ago. Apparently, the moment had come when it had to be realized. I couldn’t find the artists, I couldn’t imagine them. And suddenly - event after event. The main character Nikita Pavlenko appeared, the group gathered, and it became clear that we had a period of time that we wanted and could devote to this small film.
Why did you decide to make a film about a metro builder?
– It was important to me that this is a man who works underground. He dreams of the sea, and has the feeling that he is not living his own life. I won’t tell you how this story ends. Rather, it is not about any specific metro builder. This is a parable about a hard worker who suddenly decided to change something in his life.
Why did they choose “Rzhevskaya” for filming?
– “Rzhevskaya” chose us. When they started looking for the hero, they looked at different objects: mines, boiler rooms, etc. Once at Rzhevskaya, we realized that this was a space in which there was no sense of time. It is unclear in what years this occurs. It's like time is frozen. Since I wanted to get away from certainty and specifics, this was the ideal place. And we had some real metro builders filmed. Nikita joined the process and even worked as a jackhammer. It's a small scene. But if we had not found such space, it would not have worked out. Because this is a unique world. I've never been to such a place in my life.
What impressions did you have from meeting real metro builders?
– Before we went down into the mine, we saw these guys standing in their helmets during a break between work. I looked at these people, their faces, and realized that we had come exactly to the right place. For me, these are rare people; I almost never meet them in my life. Specific, simple, and at the same time meaningful. These guys made an impression on me.
You were born in Moscow. Over the years of living in this city, have you developed a favorite metro station?
– “Taganskaya”, because I grew up on Taganka, this is how it happened historically. And the fact that the metro continues to be built is really very necessary from the point of view of society. We have a congested city, new stations and lines enable people to quickly get from one point to another. Today this is very important because the speed of life is increasing. This is a difficult task, but necessary.