In Filip Remunda’s documentary “Happiness for All,” the Czech filmmaker portrays a quintessentially dysfunctional protagonist – a person who appears invincible however carries with him a sure doom The protagonist of shade. The movie had its world premiere this week on the Jihlava Movie Pageant within the Czech Republic, the place it received the award for Greatest Central and Jap European Documentary.
Vitali, a former nuclear physicist and report holder in excessive chilly publicity coaching, was eking out a residing as a building employee on the sting of Siberia. Whereas his mother and father have been nonetheless distinguished scientists, Vitali recalled the glories of the Soviet regime they helped create, however with totally different frequency Vitali found his ardour for Mom Russia.
Though he was an avowed patriot himself, spending his time rebuilding the foundations of rotting houses, Vitali targeted on his vlogs, selling his residence restore expertise and the evils of capitalism. However the energetic, foul-mouthed garrot appears primarily targeted on swimming by means of the ice as a lot as doable.
As Raimunda’s staff adopted him for eight years, Vitali’s staff started to get up and have become dissatisfied with the system that defunded Educational Metropolis, a settlement established to deal with scientists below the previous regime in Novosibirsk. Eager for a extra simply Russia.
Sooner or later, whereas marching on Could Day with Communist bosses and their followers, Vitali determined he had had sufficient, admitting that “these persons are filled with shit.”
“His story is typical,” Raimonda stated, “however his conduct was uncommon as a result of he was a really trustworthy man who mainly did not conceal something. He jogged my memory of some characters in Czech literature, Josef Svejk, for instance, in order that by means of his opening I might really see what’s normally hidden. I actually loved trying by means of a person who cheered his president and his nation and stated that Russia is the freest on the earth. The eyes of the nation’s folks see Russia as a rustic with out masks.
Vitali additionally has some ideas on the world of actual property. “For an actual man,” he stated, “a home is only a place to sleep. These guys’ homes are their total lives, their ‘private house’ and so forth. They don’t seem to be folks, simply cardboard cutouts.” . They do not need to be pioneers, create or uncover issues, all that issues to them is what they personal, how a lot they paid for a mortgage to some fucking wealthy man, and the way huge their fucking condo is.
Regardless of (or due to?) Vitali’s many colourful rants, he finally marries himself a bride, Olga, and drags her into the icy water in a sea ceremony. Maybe unsurprisingly, we see little or no of her after this – though she additionally admits admiringly that her boyfriend reminds her of Aquaman.
Raimonda stated that when he gained notoriety for swimming below a bridge that Putin opened close to his residence, he and his editor started following him and realized that they had a personality robust sufficient to make a film about.
Raimunda is a Czech director and producer recognized for his confrontational, satirical documentaries on social points. He’s the co-founder of the Prague College of Documentary Movie and the impartial manufacturing firm Hypermarket Movie. He’s additionally the co-author of the Czech TV collection “Czech Each day” and co-director with Vit Klusak. He has been producing movies for 20 years and offered on the twenty eighth Ji.hlava Movie Pageant: “Czech Dream,” “Czech Peace”, “Good Driver” Smetana” and “As soon as Upon a Time in Poland”.
Becoming nicely into the satire espoused by Michael Moore, who popularized the works of Raymonda and Krusak, Vitaly’s story supplies uncommon perception into the mentality of hundreds of thousands of Russians power, who stay as patriotic as ever whereas watching their world crumble.
“Want you all happiness”
Supplied by Jihlava
Because the ice swimming champion stated: “I’m not afraid of a coup; I’m not afraid of a coup.” I’m trying ahead to it. Any change is for the higher as a result of it can’t be for the more serious.
The director stated capturing the fashion of Vitali’s speech, which Raimonda described as a mixture of Russian gangster slang and “the language of poets”, was key.
The laughter that crammed the cinema corridor of Jihlava’s personal Soviet-era surprise, the DKO Cultural Middle, was an indication that the Happiness staff was getting it proper.
On the identical time, all of Vitali’s actions clearly illustrate the issues and dysfunctions confronted by strange Russians, from poverty to lack of provides to flooded streets and crumbling houses.
“My objective is to know this paradox,” Raimunda stated. “Why does somebody like Vitali help this nation and this regime when the nation doesn’t present him with a social safety system as a result of he lives roughly outdoors the poverty line. However he nonetheless thinks ‘that is for me is the perfect.
“So I attempted to get near him and perceive the paradox. He and I are the identical age, reside about 5,500 kilometers away, and since we reside in numerous international locations, now we have very totally different political opinions.
As for whether or not filmmakers have reached this understanding? “I hope so, sure. I hope we see that within the film.
After all, Vitali won’t ever see his staff’ paradise, as the ultimate scene of “Euphoria” makes clear.
“He actually needed to make society a greater place,” Raimonda stated. “He isn’t a passive individual. He is lively. So we needed to imprint that into his story – that he is really calling for change.
“The movie is actually tragic as a result of it tells the story of somebody who supported the regime that was chargeable for the struggle in Ukraine — there is a human tragedy there. However if you discuss it so overtly and truthfully, it may be Make others assume.
Maybe most paradoxically, Vitali’s Ukrainian surname is Panasyuk, and his relations are prone to reside below fireplace due to his nice hero Putin.
