FAVORSKY

Russia, 2004

ASDS studios

Adventure TV-series, 10 series

The film action begins in 1982. The main character Alexander Bogdanov (Ilya Shakunov) – the chief mate on board of the merchant ship of the Baltic Shipping Company – returns from the international voyage. In Stockholm he accidentally meets the old Swedish woman, who asks him to hand over a book about Carlson to her old friend in Moscow. Bogdanov agrees. He tells about his intention to the master of the ship. Their talk is overheard by his friend, one of the mates, Sychev (Valery Degtyar), who is in unrequited love with Bogdanov’s fiancée Masha (Tara Amirkhanova).

Having arrived in Leningrad, Sychev over a bottle of whisky tells about the book his former colleague Dolgushin (Alexander Lykov), who has been retired for currency deals. They join in a conspiracy. Sychev informs on Bogdanov to the State Security Committee and at the moment of the book handing over Bogdanov is arrested. This case is prosecuted by Malyutin (Andrey Zibrov) - an investigator of the State Security Commitee, who accidentally finds out that the book has been intended for his «biological» father Solomon Zivert. Malyutin realizes that if someone from the State Security Committee learns that he is a son of the Jewish dissident, it will be the end of his career. Then Malyutin decides to put Alexander to a secret prison of the State Security Committee, where about ten prisoners are kept for term of life.

In prison Bogdanov makes close friends with his cellmate, the old man Wallenberg (Nodar Mgaloblishvili), who becomes his mental tutor and teaches Bogdanov world culture, religion and philosophy.

Wallenberg’s death helps Bogdanov to escape. Having been saved by the Estonian merchant seamen, he becomes the member of the crew. During the voyage on the Baltic Sea he moors to one of the islands named Favor. This island, according to Wallenberg, is the place of the hidden treasure. Bogdanov finds the chests full of diamonds and in 1993 returns to Petersburg in the guise of the Polish emigrant Kuptsevich. At present he may take vengeance on his enemies…

Conception

The script is based on the novel by Alexander Dumas «The Count of Monte Christo». It is a modern version of the book, the action of which takes place in 1982-1999 in Russia.

The famous adventure novel being perceived as an abstract reading, the script containing the Russian realities becomes very familiar and understandable to the spectators due to the modern atmosphere and life details.

Despite the fact that many screen versions of the novel "The Count of Monte Christo" have been already made, the authors of the TV-series are not afraid of the analogies. They consider the modern interpretation of the classical plot to be the most important thing in the TV-series, which have been finely produced by the scriptwriter Michael Smolyanitsky, the film director Dmitry Svetozarov, the director of photography Alexander Ustinov, the film composer Andrey Sigle and, of course, all the TV-series cast.

The actors playing the leading parts have been faced with a difficult task set by the film director – they should have advanced throughout the TV-series in 14 years.

Ilya Shakunov, a Petersburg actor, plays the part of Alexander Bogdanov (Favorsky). «This is a story of the man who has undergone many severe trials; he has been betrayed by his friends and beloved. Having been put into prison, he sets himself the task of escaping and taking revenge on the people who have destroyed his life. At all times, in all countries you may find the people, who exercise their power to pursue their own selfish ends, who get the rivals out of the way using the information against them, betray the relatives. Finally they take the punishment for their betrayal – this was brilliantly described in the novel by Dumas, this is finely shown in the TV-series shot by Dmitry Svetozarov and this is very interesting for me as an actor. In my life I adhere to the principles of truth, therefore this role attracts me», - says Ilya Shakunov.

The hero of Ilya Shakunov, as the fates decree, becomes the possessor of the billionth treasure; he starts a new life under an assumed name devoting his life to the just revenge. One should not draw an analogy with the modern oligarchs – the hero of the story has not intended to grow rich and rule the world. «A glut of wealth is only a nuance. The main character derives his strength not from the money; he has seized a chance being in prison, where he has become the real Count of Monte Christo, says Ilya Shakunov.

The book by Dumas in the hands of our hero is the final point of the TV-series. Like in the novel of the famous writer, the story may be continued…

Shooting

The TV-series shooting commenced at the end of August 2004 and continued up to January 2005. Shooting has been made in different shooting areas – magnificent interiors of Petersburg mansions and sinister casemates of Kronshtadt forts, Crimea subtropics and rocky solitary islands on the Lake of Ladoga. “Shooting usually makes a film director to be a realist", - says Dmitry Svetozarov. - He has his head in the clouds when he is thinking over the future film and then when he starts shooting, he slowly comes down to earth. The film director has to compromise and to give up some of his ideas. In this case it seems to me that the idea has not become worse, on the contrary it has become better due to the wonderful location and interior shooting”.

According to the plot, like in the previous project of the ASDS studios “Three Colours of Love”, some events of “Favorsky” take place in Moscow; however the shooting has been made in Petersburg, since there was practically no place in the capital where the time would have stopped for twenty years. Due to computer design we have added a certain Moscow attributes to Petersburg that allowed us to create an illusion of the characters’ presence in the capital in early 80-s. One of the key scenes has been also made by a computer. This is the scene of sinking of “Wallenberg’s body” in the Baltic Sea. “Shooting this episode in autumn in the real sea was considered to be a crazy attempt and might lead to the serious problems; therefore we made it in the special pool imitating rough sea. After that we added the attributes of seascape”, says the film director.

Style

According to idea of the project authors, after review of the TV-series the spectators shall experience the feeling that they have already finished reading the book, the content of which resembles the real life but preserves adventurous and romantic features. “Screen image shall contain the elements of fiction, therefore the director of photography Alexander Ustinov, my colleague for almost a quarter of a century, and me shall make the image like a glossy book illustration”, says the film director Dmitry Svetozarov. Realities of the present time shall be reproduced in the TV-series by the documentary chronicle shots of the landmarks of the country being the residence of the main characters and the spectators.

Music

Music to “Favorsky” has been written by the film composer Andrey Sigle. Together with his old friend Dmitry Svetozarov - his partner in many TV projects - he has established the ASDS studios (initials of producers), on the basis of which the TV-series “Favorsky” have been shot.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• CREW
• CAST