Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –
Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –
On April 2, a meeting of students with the famous Russian director Alexander Zhigalkin was held at the State University of Management as part of the VI All-Russian Festival of Student Short Films “Kinosfera”.
Aleksandr Zhigalkin is a theater, film and dubbing actor, TV presenter, screenwriter, producer, director of such humorous projects as “6 frames” and “Thank God, you came!”, as well as the well-known television sitcoms “Daddy’s Daughters”, “Daddy’s Daughters. New” and “Voronins”. Winner of the Russian national television award “TEFI-2011” in the nomination “Director of a television program” for the sketch show “6 frames”.
At the beginning of the conversation, Alexander noted that calling him “outstanding” is not entirely correct.
“An outstanding director is Eldar Ryazanov, Andrei Tarkovsky, Federico Fellini, Michelangelo Antonioni and a huge number of great masters. I only have an outstanding nose. So I ask you to talk to me like a normal person. I just do my job well, so everything works out great,” the guest noted.
The meeting was held in a question-and-answer format and provoked a lively discussion and response from students.
The first thing we did was ask the director what inspires him to create and how he started his career.
Alexander noted with regret that the films that inspired him as a child are not known to the modern generation, and this is sad, because being well-watched is an important quality for a director.
“In the 2nd grade, I watched the film “Truffaldino from Bergamo” – a funny, wild comedy based on the play by Carlo Goldoni “The Servant of Two Masters”. I was shocked by how incredibly Konstantin Raikin played there: he danced, made faces, but did not sing himself, the songs were performed by Mikhail Boyarsky. I especially remember how the main character jumped and fell with plates, and I began to repeat this at home. After I broke several plates, my parents gave me plastic ones and approved of my hobby. In the 5th-6th grade, I began to attend classes at the ZIL People’s Theater and there I developed an incredible love for theater. After school, I went to a theater institute, I did not think about another profession. I failed the first time, but after serving in the army I tried again and entered,” the speaker shared.
He also spoke about his first attempts at acting, the difficulties of life in the 90s, his first troupe and his first staged performance. Alexander Alexandrovich also noted why he ultimately chose cinema over theater, and why the profession of a director is better for him than acting.
“I didn’t want to go to the theater as an actor, because at that time it seemed like theater was a bondage. I sincerely adore the theater, but only as a spectator. In the theater, a lot of things weigh on an actor: the director, the producer, the artistic director, etc. And for me, the lack of opportunity to freely engage in creativity is death. The director is freer, his creative life is longer. In addition, as an actor, I always have the opportunity to play a small role in a film, because the director approves me without auditions.”
Alexander also told a funny story about how in the 90s a friend from Moscow State University helped him go to Germany as a student of the landscape science faculty for a paid internship.
“I didn’t understand anything about this area, but I had a diploma as an actor from the B. Shchukin Theatre School, so I coped brilliantly with the role of a student. I came to the office at 8 a.m., colored cards, sometimes went out for practice. But after a month I ran away from there to earn money by tap dancing with a musical group from Hongover.”
The guest emphasized that an important role in the formation of his life priorities was played by a meeting with the German Ferdinand, who was involved in cars.
“It turned out that in his youth he taught physical education to Konstantin Raikin in Leningrad. And, apparently, something clicked in him when he met me, because I am also an actor, and he showed me the first Mercedes in my life, which I saw up close. When we got in, he showed me what incredible functions it had, that the car was like alive. And he said an important phrase: “A car should be either this or nothing. So wait for the opportunity to get exactly what you want.” Then I realized that since there are no roles like what I want, and I don’t want to play others, I need to do something else.”
When asked how to understand that a script is worth taking on, Alexander answered simply: “You have to take what grabs you.” The director also emphasized that his goal is “to make films and TV series that give people the opportunity to lift their spirits, become kinder and brighter, and disconnect from the problems that are plentiful in real life. At the same time, the quality of humor is important; jokes should be subtle and ironic, and not stoop below the belt.”
Since the meeting was attended mainly by students from the Department of Management in the Sphere of Culture, Cinema, Television and Entertainment Industry of the Institute of Management and Budgetary Culture, they took advantage of the opportunity to clarify how they could get onto the set and join the director’s team.
“It is quite possible to watch the filming process, I think we can organize it. As for the team, everything is more complicated here. Today there is a shortage of specialists in all areas of the filming process. I am a tough guy on the set, a tyrant and a despot. My filming pace is fast, so I try to assemble a group so that everything works like clockwork. I always say before filming: guys, we came so that the actors in the frame feel as comfortable as possible. We will be letters in the credits, and they will carry everything we wanted to say to the viewers.”
Of course, the guys asked how the director felt about the reboot of the project “Daddy’s Daughters”, which he directed from 2007 to 2011.
“I would like to remind you that “Daddy’s Daughters” is our first sitcom that was created on Russian script soil, and not adapted from a foreign version. I was a guest director and took part in the development. It’s like sculpting, where you are not alone, but your hands are present on the clay. As for the new seasons, I only filmed the first of them. It is an excellent successful project, wonderful actresses whom I selected and with whom we communicate. But for me, after those 5 years when we were just starting out, that feeling of the team, the atmosphere, the children and the intonations that were there, something didn’t work out in the new seasons. It’s too decent, too bright, the apartment is too rich. In my opinion, it should be a family from the next door, with ordinary problems familiar to everyone. The new seasons are talented, interesting, but not for me.”
Alexander also talked about how “Voronins” was filmed and what he considers to be the secret to the long life and popular love of this project.
“It was the happiest time of incredible happiness, we were one family, spent a lot of time together. The viability of this sitcom is due to the fact that we all did not quarrel, did not break up, but lived in happiness and friendship for all these ten years. There is a channel “Voronins”. Sometimes I turn it on and think “My God, how good this is!”, although it is no longer a trend today, but there is so much sincerity and truth in relation to the viewer. On the set, we were disciplined and united by Boris Klyuev, who is no longer alive. I remember how courageously he acted until the last, when he was already battling cancer, but never asked for indulgences or anything like that. You can see all this on the screen and it became the life of families. If we talk about the reboot of the series called “Kostya-Vera”, then I watched two episodes and did not do more. Without Boris, it makes no sense to do this, he was the nail that held everything together.”
When asked what advice the renowned master could give to young directors, Alexander gave advice that applies to many creative professions.
“You definitely shouldn’t get depressed, be afraid, or be embarrassed by your expressions. You should definitely read literature, it provides a huge amount of plot material for work, for new stories, for building character relationships. You need to understand and accept that everything has already been filmed and written. Times change, but people, their problems, and relationships are essentially the same. Chekhov, Tolstoy, Gogol have already written all this. You need to read thoughtfully, it’s so funny, deep, and sometimes scary. If you think you’ve come up with something yourself, then put that idea aside, study historical experience, and you’ll understand that it definitely happened. It’s all about talented interpretation, so you need to learn from the greats.”
There was also a question about how young talents can break into cinema. The guest’s answer is simple in essence, but difficult to execute, and can be framed for absolutely everyone and not to forget about it.
“The first thing you need to understand is that in order to break through, you need to break through. 90% of success is work. My teacher Yuri Avsharov used to say: “If it doesn’t work out, don’t sit in the kitchen and complain. Open a book and read, go to people, they will see you and hear you.” If a person is creative, then they will find their place. It is important to always keep yourself in working tone, then everything will work out.”
At the end of the meeting, there were photo and autograph sessions, and representatives of the student editorial board of the State University of Management SUM Times took a short interview from Alexander, which will soon be published in the Vkontakte group and on the Rutube channel.
Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 04/03/2025
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