Experiencing Interruptions?

Exciting Life

Its a comedy about a failed Moscow actor who goes to the Republic of Sakha-Yakutia to play the leading role in a Yakutian film and about his adventures there..The story is based on real events, a travel of a failed Moscow actor to the shooting that takes place in the Autonomous Republic of Sakha-Yakutia. Looking with his eyes, we find ourselves in an absolutely mysterious world of the Olonho culture, the Republic of Sakha and the present-day Yakutian cinema with all its ethnic peculiarities. The long voyage of our hero is a kind of road movie, full of meetings with very different people – old wise men, shamans and even magic deers. We will find many adventures, discoveries, love, findings and losses...

  • Anna Yanovskaya
    Director
  • Anna Yanovskaya
    Writer
  • Andrey Shemiakin
    Writer
  • Andrey Shemiakin
    Producer
  • Vladimir Golikov
    Producer
  • Vadim Shpilman
    Producer
  • Natalia Lisovskaya
    Producer
  • ALEXEI YUDNIKOV
    Key Cast
    "ALEXEI YUDNIKOV"
  • PROKOPY NOGOVITSYN
    Key Cast
    "PROKOPY NOGOVITSYN"
  • ANDREI BORISOV
    Key Cast
    "ANDREI BORISOV"
  • SERGEI POTAPOV
    Key Cast
    "SERGEI POTAPOV"
  • ANISSA NAOUAI
    Key Cast
    "ANISSA NAOUAI"
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    INTERESNAYA GHIZN
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Experimental, Feature
  • Genres:
    Comedy, Mockumentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 27 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    May 7, 2018
  • Production Budget:
    50,000 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Russian Federation
  • Country of Filming:
    Russian Federation
  • Language:
    English, Russian
  • Shooting Format:
    4k
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • 1.IFF «Amurskaya Osen” Russia- Prize in Main Competition - The Best Script for Anna Yanovskaya and Andrey Shemiakin 
    Blagoveschensk
    Russian Federation
    September 19, 2018
    Russian premiere
    Prize in Main Competition - The Best Script for Anna Yanovskaya and Andrey Shemiakin 
  • 2.IFF Nachalo -Prize in Main Competition - Best Camera (DOP)
    ST Petersburg
    Russian Federation
    November 23, 2018
    Prize in Main Competition - Best Camera (DOP)
  • 3. Sochi International Film Festival SIFFA
    Sochi
    Russian Federation
    December 19, 2018
    South Russian Premiere
    SIFFA- Special Prize of jury - For an unorthodox combination of genres
  • . 4.IFF « ARTDOCFEST”
    Moscow
    Russian Federation
    December 15, 2018
    special program "Between"
  • 5. Sochi International Film Festival SIFFA
    Sochi
    Russian Federation
    South Russian Premiere
    The Best Actor SIFFA Sochi International Film Festival and Awards
  • 6. IFF 8 Women   Moscow 2019
    Moscow
    Russian Federation
    March 7, 2019
    Festival Prize to the film "Exciting Life"  "For overcoming the barriers between documentary and fiction films"
  • 7.Festival of Russian Cinema in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
    RIO DE JANEIRO
    Brazil
    December 25, 2018
    South American Premiere
    Screening
  • 8. International Film Festival in Munich Munich. Doc
    Munich
    Germany
    May 13, 2019
    European Premiere
    Russian Cinema
Distribution Information
  • ANTIPODE sales &distribution
    Country: Russian Federation
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Anna Yanovskaya

Anna Yanovskaya

Born in Ukraine
Russian filmmaker, actress, scriptwriter.
Wrote and directed short and feature films, documentaries, which have participated in many international film festivals. Such as Moscow International Film Festival in Official Program
IFF Bosphorus Film Festival (in Competition), Turkey,
 IFF“ARTDOKFEST” IFF “Message to Man “ in Competition
IFF Flaertiana 2015 in Competition
IFF Cottbus Film Festival in competition,
Edinburgh Short Film Festival, UK, and others
 The prizewinner of International Film Festivals.
Member of the jury of national and international film festivals
EXCITING LIFE is her second Full – Length Film
Graduated from the Russian Academy of Theatre Arts ( Gitis )
Directing Department
Higher Courses for Scriptwriters and directors
2011-2013
As an actress , has participated in many international theater and film projects. Such as Cherry Orchard by Eymuntas Nyakroshus , 2005 .
The film " Distant Lights "-LIXTER (Germany) by Hans Christian Schmid–The Main Competition of the Berlin Film Festival - FIPRESCI, prize at Berlin Film Festival 2003
The film "The Wind in the city" (Greece , the Special Jury Prize at the International Film Festival in Thessaloniki. )
"Poor bosom " by Jacek Bromski ( Poland)
”STRINGER” by Paul Pavlikovsky (Poland-Russa-England-BBC)

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Director Statement

DIRECTOR’S NOTE
Today we acutely feel the scarcity of kindness in the world. In order to restore humanity, the artists and filmmakers need to create the art of kindness and enlightenment—these are the main features of films by Yakut directors. Here, in Yakutia, with its majestic nature, one can create an island of creativity that can contribute to the meeting and interaction of different cultures and can focus our attention on the development of a unique national film tradition.
One of the main characters of this film is Sergei Potapov, a Yakut film director. We studied together at GITIS (The Russian Institute of Theatre Arts). From Sergei, I found out about a Yakut phenomenon, as important as diamonds—the new DIY (Do It Yourself) Yakut cinema. Our film is about this phenomenon. This phenomenon is unique also for the Russian Federation at large – with 60-70 thousand rubles (1000Euro) Yakut directors can make a film that is creative, in touch with tradition, and popular at the same time. Sergei manages to make, without any budget, films that become box office champions. For more than twenty years, Yakutia has existed as the center of uninterrupted film production. Every year, 10-20 films in Yakut language come out, each with a budget of 60 thousand rubles, and each plays to full movie theaters and makes up its production costs several times over!
Here every second resident is a director, screenwriter, actor or cameraman; everyone wants to create and considers filmmaking an important and interesting profession. We will meet Yakut actors, talk to Yakut screenwriters, directors, and, importantly, distributors. The latter noticed the popularity of Yakut cinema among the local population and began to invest their own funds into local film production. And they were never sorry.
I would like to believe that today, at the time of economic crisis and lack of funding for cinema in Russia and elsewhere, the Yakut film industry provides an example of success for filmmakers all over the world. They revive cinema as a medium. I am both inspired and amazed by their success. DYI cinema can achieve a lot. We don’t need a lot of money to make films. If you want to make films – do so! Everything is ready for this transformation.
“Our viewers like films based on real events. Everyone is tired of special effects, monsters, and supermen. Everyone likes simple, human stories,” says Sergei. Protagonists of these films speak local language, suffer, and love in the same way as their fans. This is much more important for the audience than the adventures of some American playboy or brawny superman. This is the real power of cinema—a good film that makes people really identify with the characters. The real “good” cinema is the cinema that touches the heart, the soul, and in the end makes the spectator a better person.