Great and terrible. What did Aleksey Balabanov understate? The world could have seen many more interesting films if untimely death had not intervened in the fate of Balabanov Director Balabanov biography

One of the cult directors of Russian cinema, Alexei Balabanov, was born in the Urals in the city of Sverdlovsk (currently Yekaterinburg). Lesha's childhood years flew by in his hometown, and during his school years the little boy was no different from his peers.

He dreamed of traveling to distant planets, or at least to foreign countries. He did not show much interest in great art, but he was fond of studying foreign languages.

Ural nugget

Having received a high school diploma, Alexey left his hometown and went to Gorky, where he became a student at the local Pedagogical Institute of Foreign Languages. The young man chose the specialty of an interpreter. After successfully graduating from high school in 1981, Balabanov was called up for military service.

As a person with a higher education, he ended up in the officer corps of military transport aviation. During the two years spent in the ranks of the Soviet Army, Alexei has seen everyone. On the one hand, he learned another world by visiting different parts of Asia and Africa, on the other hand, he directly participated in the Afghan war.

The events that took place before his eyes, and the fate of the people he met, as well as many stories from the lips of colleagues, later formed the basis of one of the most difficult films called "Cargo 200".

Having served the due date, Alexei Balabanov returned home. The father (and Balabanov Sr. worked at the Sverdlovsk film studio) helped his son get a job in film production as an assistant director. Sverdlovsk in those days was one of the centers of Soviet underground culture. At a considerable distance from the capital, everything was not seen in such officialdom as in the circles of power.

In the Ural city, its own star group appeared - "Nautilus Pompilius", with the musicians of which Alexei was on friendly terms. The band's music in the films of the future director has become one of the components of Balabanov's cinematic style.

Aleksey Balabanov worked at the Sverdlovsk film studio for four years. There he created his first film - "There used to be another time." But as a director of a big movie, he took place already in St. Petersburg, where he moved to a permanent place of residence.

With the help of producer Sergei Selyanov, Aleksey Balabanov created the STV film company in St. Petersburg. Almost all the famous films of the director were filmed on it.

Alexei Balabanov had two marriages. The first wife - Irina - gave birth to the director's son Fedor, but together the three of them did not live for a long time.

The second wife of Alexei was Nadezhda Vasilyeva, a costume designer by profession. They met on the set of the film The Castle. In 1994, Balabanov's son Peter was born in this marriage.

Hero of his time

In 1991, Alexei shot his first full-length film project, Happy Days. The audience saw him in the image of a man without a name, who wanders around St. Petersburg courtyards in search of a home. At the same time, the hero has no past, memory and friends.

The debut film directed by Balabanov participated in the program of the Cannes Film Festival(out of competition) and received several prestigious awards at Russian festivals.

Then the director filmed Franz Kafka's unfinished novel The Castle, inventing his own ending for it and filming it in an absurdly surrealistic style. The public and film experts did not understand the director's intention and attacked Balabanov with a wave of reproaches.

The film "Brother", filmed in 1997, brought nationwide fame to Alexei. Inviting Viktor Sukhorukov to the roles, the director created an epic picture of the life of Russia in the early 90s of the last century.

The film received the Grand Prix of the Kinotavr festival and many prizes at international festivals. With this work, the director came out of arthouse cinema and made a film understandable to everyone.

From the state, the actors and the film crew did not receive a penny. Later, Alexei admitted that they shot the picture in the apartments of friends and acquaintances, in the workshops of St. Petersburg artists, and the props for it were collected from the world one by one.

Balabanov's next directorial work was the film "About Freaks and People", which turned out to be a cult masterpiece in the post-Soviet space. Sergei Makovetsky played the main role in the film, and the director himself called it the best work in his track record.

In 2000, Aleksey Balabanov again returned to the fate of the protagonist of "Brother", sending the character of Sergei Bodrov Jr. to America. Film experts called "Brother 2" a farewell to the illusions of the 90s and thanked the director for creating the hero of his time, the indomitable fighter for justice Danila Bagrov.

Then Balabanov filmed "War", which tells about the events of the Second Chechen War; the black comedy "Blind Man's Buff", making fun of the "dashing" 90s and gang wars; melodrama "It doesn't hurt me" with Renata Litvinova in the title role.

In 2007, Alexei Balabanov presented to the public his most difficult film - "Cargo 200".

Due to the large number of scenes of violence, with the help of which the director decided to demonstrate the undersides of Soviet society, trying to prove its well-being, the picture was not allowed to be viewed in many Russian cities.

The events in the film are conveyed so plausibly that it is difficult to accuse the director of the far-fetched plot. Balabanov instructed a young actress and a famous actor to play the main characters.

In 2010, the director made the film "Stoker", once again returning to the theme of the Afghan war. This time, viewers will see its echoes through the eyes of former Major Ivan Skryabin, who, after being discharged from the army, got a job as a stoker in one of the St. Petersburg boiler houses.

The last directorial work of Alexei Balabanov was the film-parable "I also want." Having sent the heroes in search of an ancient artifact - the "bell tower of happiness", Alexei himself starred in the role of a director who suddenly dies near this notorious bell tower.

Balabanov worked on this project when he was seriously ill, which is why he called it his farewell to his contemporaries. Despite a serious illness (the director had problems with the liver), Alexey continued to work until the last days.

On May 18, 2013, he, as if nothing had happened, sat down to write the script for the next film while relaxing at the Dunes sanatorium. Leaning over the sheet of paper, he collapsed dead on the pillow. The cause of Balabanov's death was acute heart failure. He was buried at the Smolensk cemetery in St. Petersburg next to his father.

Throughout his life, Alexei Balabanov has made almost two dozen films, and none of his works has been unequivocally received by the public and critics. Some reproached him for "darkness" and violence, others praised him for his ability to subtly feel the time.

But one thing can be said with absolute certainty: Balabanov's films did not leave anyone indifferent.

The director himself sadly joked about this: “I don’t know if I’m a good person or a bad one. I'm not to judge. If I die, I will know."

The director has already received the answer to this question, and the new generation of cinema fans continues to be divided into admirers and opponents of his work.

site is an information-entertainment-educational site for all ages and categories of Internet users. Here, both children and adults will have a good time, they will be able to improve their level of education, read interesting biographies of great and famous people in different eras, watch photographs and videos from the private sphere and public life of popular and eminent personalities. Biographies of talented actors, politicians, scientists, pioneers. We will present you with creativity, artists and poets, music of brilliant composers and songs of famous performers. Screenwriters, directors, astronauts, nuclear physicists, biologists, athletes - a lot of worthy people who have left an imprint on time, history and the development of mankind are brought together on our pages.
On the site you will learn little-known information from the fate of celebrities; fresh news from cultural and scientific activities, family and personal life of stars; reliable facts of the biography of prominent inhabitants of the planet. All information is conveniently organized. The material is presented in a simple and clear, easy to read and interestingly designed form. We have tried to ensure that our visitors receive the necessary information here with pleasure and great interest.

When you want to find out details from the biography of famous people, you often start looking for information from many reference books and articles scattered all over the Internet. Now, for your convenience, all the facts and the most complete information from the life of interesting and public people are collected in one place.
the site will tell in detail about the biography of famous people who left their mark on human history, both in ancient times and in our modern world. Here you can learn more about the life, work, habits, environment and family of your favorite idol. About the success stories of bright and extraordinary people. About great scientists and politicians. Schoolchildren and students will draw on our resource the necessary and relevant material from the biography of great people for various reports, essays and term papers.
Finding out the biographies of interesting people who have earned the recognition of mankind is often a very exciting activity, since the stories of their destinies capture no less than other works of art. For some, such reading can serve as a strong impetus for their own accomplishments, give confidence in themselves, and help them cope with a difficult situation. There are even statements that when studying the success stories of other people, in addition to motivation for action, leadership qualities are also manifested in a person, strength of mind and perseverance in achieving goals are strengthened.
It is also interesting to read the biographies of rich people posted with us, whose perseverance on the path to success is worthy of imitation and respect. Big names of past centuries and present days will always arouse the curiosity of historians and ordinary people. And we set ourselves the goal of satisfying this interest to the fullest extent. If you want to show off your erudition, prepare a thematic material, or just want to know everything about a historical figure, visit the site.
Fans of reading people's biographies can learn from their life experience, learn from someone else's mistakes, compare themselves with poets, artists, scientists, draw important conclusions for themselves, and improve themselves using the experience of an extraordinary personality.
By studying the biographies of successful people, the reader will learn how great discoveries and achievements were made that gave humanity a chance to ascend to a new stage in its development. What obstacles and difficulties had to be overcome by many famous people of art or scientists, famous doctors and researchers, businessmen and rulers.
And how exciting it is to plunge into the life story of a traveler or discoverer, imagine yourself as a commander or a poor artist, learn the love story of a great ruler and get to know the family of an old idol.
The biographies of interesting people on our site are conveniently structured so that visitors can easily find information about any person they need in the database. Our team strived to ensure that you like both simple, intuitive navigation, and easy, interesting style of writing articles, and original page design.

On May 18, 2013, the heart of the outstanding Russian film director Alexei Oktyabrinovich Balabanov stopped beating. The cause of death was cardiac arrest.

Five years ago, the news that he was gone thundered like a bolt from the blue for everyone who loved him. And everyone who appreciates real, honest cinema loved him. The director devoted himself to his work without a trace: he thought about work around the clock, during the filming he calculated everything to the smallest detail. He shot very quickly - often at the end of the day the group could start resting even earlier than the scheduled time, because a real genius was in charge of the process. the site offers to recall the most interesting details about the personality, life and work of Alexei Oktyabrinovich Balabanov, which few people know about.

About childhood and youth. Balabanov was born in Sverdlovsk in 1959. From school he was fond of foreign languages ​​and music and was very fond of "chemizing" - as the director later said, in his school years his favorite hobby was making bombs from the "Young Chemist" sets. After receiving a certificate of secondary education, he studied to be a translator. Only later, having returned to civilian life from the army, he went to work at the Sverdlovsk film studio as an assistant director and graduated from the Higher Courses for Scriptwriters and Directors.

About war. After the institute, Alexey Oktyabrinovich got into the army. He served in the military transport aviation. He knew firsthand about the horrors of the war - the future director had been to Afghanistan more than once.

About St. Petersburg. Balabanov moved to the city on the Neva in 1990. He adored this city, called it the best scenery for films. In St. Petersburg, he met his friends and colleagues, with whom he went through his entire creative and life path. The director really appreciated those with whom he was friends and worked.

About music. M at language always played in Balabanov's house. The director simply could not live without her. He paid great attention to the soundtracks for his films - even now you can listen to them as full-fledged collections even without watching the films themselves.

About oddities. Like many creative people, Balabanov had his own oddities. But he had them, figuratively speaking, very bright and touching. So, for example, he could not walk down the street past the homeless. The director dragged them to his apartment to warm, feed, drink and show his films.

About attitude to money. Aleksey Balabanov was a real silversmith. He was interested in money only as a means to create a movie. Relatives after his death said that the director never asked the producers what fee he would receive - he sincerely did not care.

About the vest. The director could not stand pretentious clothes. He did not part with his favorite vest, which became his original uniform, his calling card. For formal events like red carpets or international film festivals, Balabanov rented a tailcoat or suit.

About failed plans. The director did not have time to make a picture about Stalin's young years (he thought about it for several years). Also, two more projects by Alexei Oktyabrinovich did not see the light - the film "American" (according to rumors, the lead actor Michael Bean drank during filming) and the film "River" (actress Tuyara Svinoboeva, employed in the project, died in a car accident).

About football. Few people know that Alexei Balabanov adored football, was a passionate fan. He loved watching television broadcasts of matches of his favorite team, Manchester United, with his son.

About depression. The tragedy in the Karmadon Gorge, which occurred in 2002, claimed the lives of Balabanov's close friends - Sergei Bodrov Jr., Marinas of Lipartia And Vladimir Kartashov. Aleksey Oktyabrinovich lived through this loss until the end of his days. It is possible that this grief hastened his departure, dealing a blow to the cinematographer's heart.

Photo: frame from the movie "I want too" Alexey Balabanov about himself and about art:

“I don't know if I'm a good person or a bad person. I'm not to judge. I'll die - I'll know "

“I never figured out my relationship with God. To me, unlike Terry Gilliam, everything is clear.”

“I don't consider cinema art. Art is when a person does something alone. An artist creates art, a writer creates art, but when you're dependent on fifty people, what the hell is art?

Help site: Alexey Balabanov made his first feature film in 1991. It's called Happy Days. At the heart of this picture are the works of the Irish absurdist Samuel Beckett. Among the most famous works of the director are the films "Brother", "About freaks and people" and "Cargo 200". Alexey Oktyabrinovich released his last tape “I also want” in 2012.

The cause of death of Alexei Balabanov worries all of his many fans. The director passed away suddenly for many almost in the prime of his career. He died in 2013 at the age of 54. The cause of death of Alexei Balabanov, whose photo is in this article, was discussed for a long time by his acquaintances and admirers of talent. This is one of the most famous modern domestic masters of cinema, who was glorified by the films "About Freaks and People", "Brother", "War".

Director's biography

You will learn about the cause of death of Alexei Balabanov from this article. The director was born in Sverdlovsk in 1959.

It is interesting that Balabanov stood out among his peers since childhood with his craving for foreign languages. This was due to the desire to travel a lot in the future, which decided with the choice of his profession. He graduated from a local school, entered the Pedagogical Institute of Foreign Languages ​​in Gorky.

While serving in the army, he visited the countries of Asia and Africa, took part in the war in Afghanistan. He finished his service in the Navy, since then the marine vest has been his favorite clothing.

He began his creative career as an assistant director at a film studio in Sverdlovsk. He received film education at the Higher Courses for Scriptwriters and Directors, which he graduated in 1990.

In Sverdlovsk, he was greatly influenced by the underground culture, which was rapidly developing at that time. Despite the fact that the city was far from Moscow and Leningrad, its own school of rock music was born here, from which many famous bands came out. Balabanov was in close contact with the musicians of the Nautilus Pompilius group, and used their songs in several of his films.

Balabanov was married twice. From his first wife, Irina, he had a son, Peter. With Nadezhda Vasilyeva, his second wife, he met on the set of the film "Castle". She worked as a costume designer. Peter was born in 1994.

Vasilyeva was next to the director until the very end.

Creative debut

His first picture was the musical film "There used to be another time", which was dedicated to the group "Nautilus Pompilius". Balabanov filmed it in a restaurant, the role of extras was played by ordinary visitors to the establishment. Since then, the hero of our article has shot non-professional actors in each of his films, striving for maximum naturalism.

Also at the beginning of his career, Balabanov made a short film "I have no friend, or One step beyond", which showed the Sverdlovsk rock party, the groups "Urfin Juice", "Nastya", "Trek", "Nautilus Pompilius". As well as a documentary-feature film "Nastya and Yegor" about Yegor Belkin and Nastya Poleva.

In 1990 Balabanov moved to St. Petersburg.

Full length work

His first feature film was the social drama "Happy Days", which was released in 1991. She took part in the out-of-competition program of the Cannes Film Festival, was based on the dramatic and absurd works of Samuel Beckett.

In 1994, the film adaptation of Franz Kafka's novel "The Castle" was released. Already in them, Balabanov managed to demonstrate innovative cinematic techniques, to create in the viewer a sense of claustrophobia and a sense of absurdity, which are embedded in literary sources.

"Brother"

The first high-profile success of Balabanov was the crime drama "Brother", released in 1997. This is a story about Danila Bagrov (played by Sergei Bodrov Jr.), who returned from the army and comes to his native provincial town.

The boring life does not suit the hero of this tape, so he goes to St. Petersburg to his older brother, who, according to rumors, has become a big man during this time. When he finds him, everything is not so simple. His brother is a hitman. Danila will have to face the criminal world of the 90s, not for a minute, not forgetting her adherence to principles, a heightened sense of justice. Bagrov became the hero of a whole generation, and Bodrov became one of the most popular actors of the 90s.

The picture received the Grand Prix of the Kinotavr festival and many other awards.

In 1998, another high-profile film by Balabanov was released - the drama "About Freaks and People".

The action of this picture takes place at the very beginning of the 20th century. In the center are two prosperous families, as well as the mysterious owner of a photographic studio, Johann, who creates his own photographic theater of the Marquis de Sade in the basement.

Johann takes photographs that evoke lust, arouse the basest feelings in a person. With his work, he destroys prosperous families, turning ordinary people into freaks, mired in vices. The picture got into the program of the Cannes Film Festival, received the Nika Award in the Best Film nomination.

"War"

In 2000, the sequel to the film "Brother" was released, which was a major success. This time the action took place in Russia and the United States. The film has been repeatedly accused of being politically incorrect. The film "War", which tells about the events in Chechnya, received the same suspicions.

In the picture, the story is told in the first person, the story is told by the defendant Ivan Ermakov, who gives an interview to a journalist. He talks about the events in Chechnya in 2001, when he was captured by a militant commander in the position of a domestic slave. Ivan himself is also used as a communications specialist.

Soon an English actor and his fiancee are brought to the Chechen commander. The fighter releases the Russians, because they are conscripts, not contract soldiers, and an Englishman to bring a ransom for his bride. The Englishman fails to raise money and find understanding with the authorities in two months. Then he turns to Ivan for help, together they go to free Margaret and the Russian officer Medvedev, who remain in captivity.

In 2007, the hero of our article filmed the drama "Cargo 200", in which he eerily realistically demonstrated the wrong side of late Soviet reality. The tape came out so cruel that many famous actors refused to act in it, and in a number of Russian cities the film was removed from cinemas.

An important milestone in the work of Balabanov was the drama "Stoker" about a Yakut veteran of the war in Afghanistan. The film was about revenge, which even small people are capable of.

His last work was the picture "I also want", in which the director tried to comprehend the essence of parting with life. The possible cause of death, the biography of Alexei Balabanov then began to be actively discussed.

Many noted that after the filming of this film, in many interviews he began to hint at his imminent death, claiming that this picture was his last. And so it actually happened.

death of the master

The cause of death of Aleksey Balabanov was initially little known. The tragedy occurred on May 18, 2013. At that moment, the director was working on the script for his next project. He was in Sestroretsk, Leningrad region, and at about 16.00 in the sanatorium "Dunes" he suddenly died. The cause of death of Alexei Balabanov was a heart attack. He was only 54 years old.

According to his will, a civil memorial service was held at Mosfilm, the director was buried, and buried at the Smolensk cemetery. The cause of the death of actor Alexei Balabanov was discussed for a long time by his friends and acquaintances.

At first there were even doubts. But as a result, experts named the exact cause of death of Alexei Balabanov. According to doctors, he worked hard, his heart simply could not withstand such serious stress. So the official cause of death of Alexei Balabanov is acute heart failure.

The medical examiner's report noted that he had often felt unwell lately. As a result, a fatal heart attack occurred, which caused the death of director Alexei Balabanov.

In total, during his career, he made 14 feature films. And also there were documentaries, short films and amateur projects.

Alexey Oktyabrinovich Balabanov. Born February 25, 1959 in Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg) - died May 18, 2013 in Sestroretsk (St. Petersburg). Soviet and Russian film director, screenwriter, producer. Director of the films "About freaks and people", "Brother", "War", "Cargo 200".

In 1976 he graduated from high school in Sverdlovsk.

In 1981 he graduated from the translation department of the Gorky Pedagogical Institute of Foreign Languages.

In 1981-1983 he served as an officer in the Soviet Army - in the 339th military transport aviation regiment of the Air Force of Military Transport Aviation in Vitebsk, flew to African and Asian countries. This experience is reflected in the painting "Cargo 200". Member of the war in Afghanistan. Shortly before the end of his service, he was transferred to the Navy. Since then, his favorite clothing was a sailor's vest.

For four years he worked as an assistant director at the Sverdlovsk Film Studio.

In 1990 he graduated from the director's department of the Higher Courses for Scriptwriters and Directors, the experimental workshop "Author's Cinema" by L. Nikolaev, B. Galanter.

In 1987 he made his first feature film. Filming took place in the Urals. The script for the film was written in one night. This low-budget film was shot in a restaurant. The film featured the band Nautilus Pompilius, whose leader the director was familiar with. The extras were occupied by visitors to the institution. After his debut in each subsequent film, Balabanov filmed non-professional artists, achieving the most natural and convincing embodiment of the everyday ups and downs of his characters through artistic images.

Since 1990, Balabanov has lived and worked in St. Petersburg. In 1992, together with producer Sergei Selyanov, he founded the STV film company, with the help of which he shot most of the films.

The director's first two feature films, Happy Days (based on Samuel Beckett) and The Castle (based on the novel by Franz Kafka), were distinguished by memorable visuals and skillfully conveying the sense of absurdity and claustrophobia inherent in literary sources.

Movie "Happy Days" became an event in the cinema of the early 90s. The hero of the film is a man without a name and place of residence. The only thing he owns is some money, galoshes and a hat that he never takes off. This film was the first big collaboration between Balabanov and. The actor later appeared in almost all the director's films, and gave the films of others a "Balaban spirit". Sukhorukov recalled how, on the set, Balabanov forced him to wear shoes half a size smaller: “We shot in the winter at the cemetery, I froze my legs. "Then it turned out that it was all on purpose. He needed my torment to be transmitted through the eyes."

The movie made him famous "Brother" released in 1997. The picture tells the story of a young man who became a killer. The film became one of the cult Russian films of the 1990s, and the lead actor was called the hero of the generation. Due to the hostility that the main character of "Brother" feels towards foreigners, Balabanov was accused of nationalism and xenophobia.

Balabanov said that the film was shot as an amateur movie, almost without a budget: "There was no money to make intellectual films ... At that time, tabloid literature was already very popular. I read Koretsky's Antikiller and decided to make a film about bandits - it was fashionable" .

Danila Bagrov - a smiling guy in a coarse sweater, who knows exactly "what is the truth", and does justice, because there is no one else, he suddenly became his audience. This is the merit of both the director and the lead actor Sergei Bodrov Jr. Balabanov admitted more than once that without Bodrov, the film and the hero would have turned out to be different, unpleasant, repulsive: “I wrote this story specifically for Seryozha Bodrov - by that time I had already seen The Prisoner of the Caucasus, where he played one of the main roles, I imagined a little "What is Seryozha like in life. What is he like? Charming. And not an actor at all ... He just organically exists in space."

In 2000 Balabanov filmed "Brother 2"- a sequel to "Brother", which takes place in Moscow and the United States. The film “War” (2002), which took place in the North Caucasus during the Second Chechen War, also caused accusations of political incorrectness. Then Balabanov, changing the established style, shot two "light" films: the crime comedy "Blind Man's Buff" and the melodrama "It Doesn't Hurt Me".

In 1998 Balabanov directed the film "About freaks and people" from a script he had written five years earlier but could not execute due to lack of funding. Despite the controversial topic - the film tells about the producers of pornography in the Russian Empire - the picture was awarded the "Nika" award for the best film.

In this stylized black-and-white drama, the director shows the extremes of human deformity, physical and moral, which, of course, is even more terrible. The end of the 19th – beginning of the 20th century, the main character is the photographer Johann, the owner of the studio, in the basement of which a pornographic photo is taken. In the original version, the film was called "You can't go anywhere", then "Freaks and people", and for Balabanov it became a logical continuation of the short film "Trofim" about a peasant who killed his own brother. He played the main roles in both tapes.

Balabanov said: "The hero of Sergei Makovetsky is not the embodiment of evil. He does his job with passion and corrupts without realizing it. As a result, he himself becomes a victim." “Each director has only one good film. I like “About Freaks and People,” said Alexei Balabanov.

In 2005, a noir-style crime comedy was released. "Zhmurki", in which the main roles were played by and. Early 1990s. The era of "shooters", crimson jackets, bloody showdowns, outfits from Versace and six hundredth Mercedes. If "Boomer" parted with her in all seriousness, then "Zhmurki" say goodbye laughing. The plot of the film revolves around a briefcase with heroin. Simon and Sergey will either return it to Mikhalych, the main local authority that controls the illegal movement of drugs, or say goodbye to their lives. Two young bespredelschik know only one way to compete - a shot in the head.

Alexey Balabanov with Dmitry Dyuzhev and Alexey Panin

The film was released in 2007 "Cargo 200", in which the author naturalistically showed the wrong side of late Soviet reality during the Afghan war, the terrible and cruel side of human nature, the script caused a number of famous actors to refuse to act in the film and split the Russian film community. In many cities of Russia, the tape was removed from the rental. The audience also reacted ambiguously, which is not surprising, the story shown in the film can hardly cause any feelings other than disgust.

Balabanov said about the film “Cargo 200”: “This is a very controversial picture from the point of view of morality ... Yes, it all really happened. And I learned a lot of details from personal experience. 1984 was a time for me personally heyday. I was young, just came from the army. But it was then that I and my generation as a whole felt that everything would collapse soon. This is the moment I wanted to convey on the screen - the moment of the collapse of the country, the spiritual collapse of specific people, such as the main character, this policeman. It turned out tough, but the time was like that."

In his last picture of 2012 "I want too" the director comprehends the problem of the departure of a person from life. Balabanov appears in the frames of the film in a cameo role. According to the plot, a musician, a bandit, a bandit's friend with an old father and a prostitute are traveling across Russia in search of the Bell Tower of Happiness, which is somewhere near St. Petersburg. But the Bell Tower does not accept everyone. Once in place, the heroes see hundreds of corpses of people who have not reached happiness and "a director, a member of the European Academy."

In total, Balabanov made 14 feature films, not counting amateur and documentary films. The director's films have always caused conflicting assessments, someone praised him for the fact that he felt the time, someone, on the contrary, scolded him for excessive violence and "darkness". But his work did not leave anyone indifferent. Balabanov once said: "I don't know if I'm a good person or a bad one. It's not for me to judge. If I die, I'll find out."

Balabanov directed several video clips. He shot 3 clips of the group "Nautilus Pompilius": 1988 - "View from the screen", 1992 - "Pure demon", 1997 - "In the rain" (soundtrack to the film "Brother"). In 1989 - a clip of the group "Nastya" ("Stratosphere"). In 2000, together with director Valery Makushchenko, the clip of the Bi-2 group - “No one writes to the Colonel” (soundtrack to the film “Brother 2”).

Death of Alexei Balabanov

He died on May 18, 2013 at about 4 p.m., while working on another script in the Dunes sanatorium in the city of Sestroretsk (Kurortny district of St. Petersburg) from a heart attack. He died at home, in the arms of his relatives - he fainted and never regained consciousness. The director was seriously ill and called his last film "I also want" a farewell. Nevertheless, he did not want to stop, he continued to work.

The funeral service at Lenfilm was not held at the behest of the director. The funeral service was held on May 21 at the Prince Vladimir Cathedral, the funeral took place on the same day at the Smolensk cemetery.

The death of the director stopped the implementation and completion of a number of projects. In 2003, Balabanov began filming the film "The American", the filming period of which was scheduled for November-December. This is a story about a bankrupt American who came to Russia in an attempt to get his money back. The main roles in the film were to be played by Michael Biehn and Alexei Chadov. Also, one of the key figures was to be performed by musician Sergei Shnurov, who, together with the Leningrad group, was indicated in the script. Most of the film's episodes were filmed in Irkutsk, but in Norilsk Michael Bean went on a drinking binge and disrupted the filming. The film had to be cancelled. Balabanov traveled to Los Angeles for the trial of the conflict. Later, Balabanov said in his interviews that he was not going to shoot this film, because he had burned out, and he was not used to entering the same river twice. But in 2013, he nevertheless decided to take up this film again and for this he decided to rewrite the script for a black boxer, but he did not have time to complete this project.

Balabanov's plans included a film based on his own script about youth. The film was supposed to tell about Stalin's gangster youth. To do this, Balabanov collected facts about him that were unknown to the general public.

Balabanov worked on a film that was supposed to be called "My brother died", but did not have time to finish his script. Oleg Garkusha and Renata Litvinova were candidates for roles in this film.

Personal life of Alexei Balabanov:

Was married twice.

The first wife is Irina. In marriage, the son Fedor was born (born 1989), became an economist.

The second wife is Nadezhda Vasilyeva, costume designer for Lenfilm. They were introduced in the corridor of Lenfilm by the producer of the film Happy Days. The director's widow recalled: "Lesha told me:" Let's work together. "Then we got to talking, and he said that he really liked that I was in a skirt and not in trousers. It all started with that."

Nadezhda said about her wife: “Lesha was always not politically correct, but I fell in love with him for that, at first sight! Lyosha was never late anywhere. If he said that he would come at 5.37, then he would come exactly at that time. And he considered this a very important quality for a man. He often repeated: "The main thing is not to chatter." wins the good, which he demonstrated in his film “About Freaks and People”: according to the plot, new and strong heroes defeated the good and weak ones.

Married in 1995, the son Peter was born.

Filmography of Alexey Balabanov:

1995 - Arrival of the train (film almanac) - assistant director
2000 - How Brother-2 was filmed (documentary)
2010 - Ingeborga Dapkunaite. Without complexes and bad habits (documentary)
2011 - Where are you, brother? (documentary)
2012 - I also want - director
2013 - Andrey Panin. A Rider Called Life (documentary)

Directed by Alexey Balabanov:

1989 - About air flying in Russia (documentary)

1991 - Happy days
1994 - Castle

1997 - Brother
1998 - About freaks and people
2000 - Brother-2

2002 - War

2005 - Zhmurki
2006 - It doesn't hurt me
2007 - Cargo 200
2008 - Morphine
2010 - Stoker
2012 - I also want

Production work of Alexey Balabanov:

1995 - Revelations to a stranger (Confidences a un inconnu)

Scripts by Alexey Balabanov:

1987 - There used to be another time (short)
1988 - I don't have a friend (short)
1989 - Nastya and Yegor (documentary)
1991 - Happy days
1994 - Castle
1995 - Arrival of the train (film almanac)
1997 - Brother
1998 - About freaks and people
2000 - Brother-2
2002 - River (short)
2002 - War
2003 - American (was not completed)
2005 - Zhmurki
2006 - It doesn't hurt me
2007 - Cargo 200
2010 - Stoker
2012 - I also want

Prizes and awards of Alexey Balabanov:

For the film "Happy Days":

1991 - Prize "Dreams of Paris" at the film festival in Zarechny;
1991 - Critics' Jury Prize "For the creation of an integral cinematic world and uncompromising adherence to the original author's choice" at the Zarechny Film Festival;
1992 - Prize for the best feature film at the Debut Film Festival in Moscow

For the film "The Castle":

1994 - Film Club Jury Prize at the Kinotavr Film Festival in Sochi;
1995 - Special Jury Prize at the Literature and Cinema Film Festival in Gatchina;
1995 - Prize to them. G. Kozintseva at the competition of professional awards of the film studio "Lenfilm";
1995 - Prize "Golden Nail" in the nomination "Kinomanifesto" of the International Film Festival for Young Cinema "Kinoforum" (Suzdal)

For the film "The Arrival of the Train":

1995 - For the best film of the year - film press award;
1996 - Prize "Centaur" of the International Film Festival "Message to Man" in St. Petersburg;
1996 - FIPRESCI Prize at the Kinotavr Film Festival in Sochi;
1996 - Prize of the Guild of Film Critics and Critics at the Kinotavr Film Festival in Sochi

For the film "Brother":

1997 - Special Jury Prize at the International Film Festival in Cottbus;
1997 - FIPRESCI Prize of the International Film Festival in Cottbus;
1997 - Grand Prix "Gold Medal" of the International Film Festival in Trieste;
1997 - Special Jury Prize at the International Film Festival for Young Cinema in Turin;
1997 - FIPRESCI Prize of the International Film Festival for Young Cinema in Turin;
1997 - Grand Prix of the Kinotavr Film Festival in Sochi

For the film "About freaks and people":

1998 - Grand Prix "Festival of Festivals" in St. Petersburg;
1998 - Special Jury Prize "For directorial professionalism and integral style solution" at the Kinotavr film festival in Sochi;
1998 - Grand Prix - Golden Aries Award;
1998 - For the best feature film - "Nika" award;
2007 - The main prize "Golden Rose" at the film festival "Kinotavr" in Sochi

For the film "Cargo 200":

2007 - Award of the Russian Guild of Film Critics at the Kinotavr Film Festival

For the film "Stoker":

2010 - Stalker Prize for the best feature film at the Stalker International Human Rights Film Festival

For the film "I want too":

2012 - Prize "Best Director" at the St. Petersburg International Film Festival