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Mary Pickford's Kiss

In July 1926, at the height of their fame, Hollywood stars Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks made a historic visit to the Soviet Union. Their arrival coincided with the death of the founder of the Cheka, Felix Dzerzhinsky, and, ironically, their hotel was located next to the Hall of Columns, where his body lay in state. The atmosphere took on a nearly surreal quality, as crowds alternated between mourning the Soviet leader and joyfully welcoming the Hollywood stars. Despite the brevity of their stay, Pickford and Fairbanks left an indelible mark on the hearts of Soviet admirers—poets wrote verses, and musicians composed songs in their honor. Director Sergei Komarov even managed to film the comedy Mary Pickford’s Kiss, starring Igor Ilyinsky and Anel Sudakevich in the lead roles. However, just a few years later, the silent film era would come to an end, and the world-renowned Pickford would find herself an unneeded actress. This story serves as a reflection on life, talent, fame, time, and fate.

  • Olga Antimony
    Director
  • Gregory Antimony
    Writer
  • Maxim Kravchinsky
    Writer
  • Gregory Antimony
    Producer
  • Lidiya Boyko
    Key Cast
  • Anatolii Mateshko
    Key Cast
  • Vera Pavlova
    Key Cast
  • Nikolay Terentiev
    Key Cast
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Поцелуй Мэри Пикфорд
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 23 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    December 1, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    100,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    Russian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Olga Antimony

Olga Antimony is a documentary film director of Ukrainian origin. She graduated from Moscow State University with a degree in "Television Journalism" and the Higher Courses for Scriptwriters and Directors. Her first film, "Chernobyl 2", shot while studying at the Higher Courses, was showcased at various Russian and international film festivals: The Open Film Festival of CIS countries, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia "Kinoshock"(Anapa), «Stalker» (Moscow), «Docpoint» (Finland), «International Studentfilmfestival sehsüchte» (Germany), «Human rights documentary films days» (Ukraine), «Mediterranean Environmental Award» (Spain). The film won multiple awards, including «Best Short Film» in The open festival of documentary films in Yekaterinburg; Leonid Gurevich's prize for search of original dramatic solution; «For a choice of heroes» in «Human rights documentary films days» in Ukraine etc. In 2010, she moved to Canada at the invitation of the television company Ethnic Channels Group, where she is a director of several television projects and a director and creative consultant of documentary films ("Darkness casts no shadow", "In Fantasy I Will Be Bathed in Tears", "To Each His Own Crusade", "Yiddish Sounds of Canada", "Aelita:Dream Big", "Crazy Canuck Collections", "Trojan Jazz", "Giya Kancheli: I Used to Hate Clarinet", "The Wind Breathes Where He Wills", "Mary Pickford's Kiss", "GULAG. Unpaid Debt", etc.).

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Director Statement

In July 1926, Hollywood stars Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks visited the Soviet Union at the height of their fame. Their brief visit created a surreal juxtaposition: while Soviet leader Felix Dzerzhinsky lay in state, crowds alternated between mourning and celebrating these icons of the silver screen. This unique historical moment is at the heart of my film, which reflects on fame, talent, and the fleeting nature of time.

This project became a refuge for me, a way to step away from the overwhelming reality of today’s world and immerse myself in a moment of the past that blends glamour with tragedy. The film explores not just the legendary visit of Pickford and Fairbanks but the human connections, real and imagined, that resonate through time. Stories, such as the claim that Fairbanks had a secret liaison in Dnipropetrovsk or their spontaneous journey to Odessa, blur the line between fact and folklore, allowing us to reflect on how legends are made.

This film is a blend of documentary and introspection. It isn't purely fictional, but it's not strictly factual either—it’s a reflection of a story passed down through memories, songs, and poetry. I'm incredibly grateful to Vera Pavlova and Kolya Terentyev, who brought the voices of that era to life with their performances. Their participation in this project, thanks to the strange circumstances of the pandemic, added layers of authenticity and emotional depth to our work.

Thank you to Lida, who embodied Mary Pickford with such grace, and to Dasha. This film would not be the same without your presence and energy. Though this is not a narrative film in the traditional sense, it is a collective reflection on fame, history, and our own relationship to the stories we choose to tell.

This project is a love letter to cinema, to history, and to the art of storytelling.