Dmitry SvetozarovFilm director, script writer, producer
Dmitry Svetozarov was born on October 10, 1951 in Leningrad in the family of the famous film director, classic of the Soviet cinema, national artist of the USSR Joseph Heifits.
In 1974 Dmitry Svetozarov graduated from the philological faculty of the Leningrad State University with speciality «English language and literature».
For some time he had been working as a translator of literary texts but soon afterwards completely devoted himself to the cinema.
Being a diploma student, 23-years-old Dmitry Svetozarov was working at Lenfilm studios as an associate director of Ilya Averbakh in the film «The Stranger Letters» (1975) and then in the film of Joseph Heifits «Asya» (1977).
In 1980 he graduated from the Higher Courses of Script Writers and Film Directors (studio of Joseph Heifits, graduation work – short film «The Sunglasses») and continued his work at Lenfilm studios as the film director.
In 1983 Dmitry Svetozarov announced himself in the full-length fiction film. It was a brilliant debut – sport drama «Speed» not only differed greatly from the films of the «epoch of stagnation» but also designated the position of the young film director. Svetozarov intended to start his work in the genre cinema insufficiently known in the USSR.
Success of «Speed» release allowed the film director to start a new work immediately. In 1986 the film «Break» was released - a story about the major accident in the Leningrad metro, the second disaster film in the history of the national cinema.
In the years of «perestroika» Svetozarov’s genre films became more personal, hard-edged, tough that produced negative reaction of the cinematographic authorities. The first sign was the social drama «Without the Uniform» (1988). Growing resentment against Svetozarov reached its highest point after preview of the film-parable, thriller «The Dogs» (1989). The film was revolutionary for its time, both for the form – it was the first thriller in the Soviet/Russian cinema and for the content – investigating the dark, secret sides of the human soul, the film director touched upon the subject that had not been discussed in the cinema earlier. The officials were scared and prohibited the film release.
Beginning of the 90-s was the period of the «official» recognition of the film director. In 1992 his psychological crime «Arithmetic of a Murder» (1991) got the Grand Prix Award at the Kinoshok Film Festival in Anapa and Sergey Bekhterev won the award in the category «Best Actor in a Leading Role» at the Valenciennes International Festival of Action and Adventure Films – the film was a real success with the public. «Arithmetic of a Murder» built up Svetozarov the reputation of the brilliant professional, feeling himself comfortable within the frames of any genre, and the film director-author with the existing system of aesthetic values, views and convictions.
In 1992 Svetozarov again amazed everyone. He deviated from the genre films and shot the drama «Gadzho», film that conversed the Russian literature myth about gypsies and became the metaphor of the intellectuals’ destiny in Russia.
New period in the life of the film director began in 1997 when Dmitry Svetozarov in collaboration with Alexander Kapitsa produced the first Russian TV-series «The Streets of Broken Lamps» («The Cops»), which became the absolute record-holder for runtime on the national TV. For 10 years «The Cops» have been remaining the most popular and favourite people’s TV-series (by now 150 series have been shot). In 1999 for series «The Pale Moth» Dmitry Svetozarov was nominated for the National TV Award in the category «Best Film Director».
In 1998 the TV-series «The Agent of National Security» were released where Svetozarov was the art manager, film director and author of the creative idea about «the Russian James Bond». Those TV-series had become not less popular than «The Cops» and have been shooting up to now.
In 2000 Dmitry Svetozarov returned to the full-length films and shot «14 Colours of Rainbow» – a mixture of thriller, adventure and drama (subtitle – «Russian fairy tale»). The film got the award at the Cairo International Film Festival and Svetlana Smirnova won the award in the category «Best Actress in a Leading Role» at the Kinotaur Russian Film Festival.
In 2002 Dmitry Svetozarov realized his long-standing goal – he shot the TV-series «By the Name of Baron», thoughtful and profound film, gangster story, the Russian analogue of the crime «Once Upon a Time in America» (NTV Channel). The film got the National TV Award (2002) in the category «Best TV-Series» and Dmitry Svetozarov won the National TV Award in the category «Best Film Director».
In 2002 Dmitry Svetozarov together with a producer Andrey Sigle established the ASDS film studios (initials of the producers).
During 2002-2007 the ASDS studios released the TV-series: «The Dancer», «Three Colours of Love», «"Opers": Chronicles of a Homicide Department», «Favorsky». Since 2005 the ASDS studios has been shooting the TV-series «The Wild Boar».
Since year 2002 up to the year 2008, studio produced serials “A Dancer” (virtual detective, first Channel), “Three colours of love” (melodrama, TV channel “Russia”), 9 episodes of a serial “Agents. Chronics of slaughter department” (TV channel “Russia”), «Favorsky» (NTV), «The boar» (First TV channel), «A.D.».
As a producer and a creative director of project Dmitry Svetozarov was in charge of serial “Syndicate” shootings (director Alexander Lebedev) and a feature film “Guide” (director Alexander Hvan).
In 2006-2007 Dmitry Svetozarov shot a screen version of Fedor Dostoevsky’s novel “Crime and Punishment”.
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ABOUT FILMS |
- 2007 Guide (tv/f) (producer)
- 2003 Unknown Heifits. Hero of Not Our Time (doc/f) (script writer, film director)
- 2000 14 Colours of Rainbow (tv/f) (film director)
- 1993 The Blue Ballet Dancers (tv/f) (script writer, film director)
- 1992 Gadzho (tv/f) (script writer, film director)
- 1991 Arithmetic of a Murder (tv/f) (film director)
- 1989 The Dogs (tv/f) (co-script writer, film director)
- 1988 Without the Uniform (tv/f) (film director)
- 1986 Break (tv/f) (co-script writer, film director)
- 1983 Speed (tv/f) (film director)
- 1980 The Sun glasses (tv/f) (co-script writer, film director)
- 1980 The Sketch (tv/f) (co-script writer, film director)
Serials
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PRIZES |
By the name of Baron 2003 Two TEFI prizes awarded by the Russian Television Academy for 2002 in the nominations «Best TV series» and «Best director’s work» (Dmitry Svetozarov).
Prizes to Lilian Malkina («Best supporting actress») and Sergei Bekhterev («Best supporting actor») at the 4th Festival of TV Films «Spolokhi-2003» in Arkhangelsk
The Streets of broken lamps (the cops) 1999 Nomination for the National TV Award («Best Film Director») – series «The Pale Moth»
Two National TV Awards in the categories: «TV Fiction (Feature) Film or TV-Series», «TV Project of the Year».
14 Colours of Rainbow 2000
Award in the category «Best Actress in a Leading Role» won by Svetlana Smirnova at the Kinotaur Russian Film Festival, 2000
Award at the International Film Festival in Cairo, 2000
Arithmetic of a Murder 1992
Grand Prix Award at the Kinoshok Film Festival in Anapa
1993
Award in the category «Best Actor in a Leading Role» won by Sergey Bekhterev at the Valenciennes International Festival of Action and Adventure Films, France
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