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Lofty Senses

2008

Sins draw people to the ground.

27 min, Color, 35 mm

The Movie

Please switch subtitles on before watching.

Actors

  • Stepan Volman
  • Maria Kapustinskaya
  • Philipp Chevychelov
  • Fyodor Selkin
  • Mikhail Samarin
  • Irina Gorokhova
  • Vyacheslav Savochka
  • Sergei Zhiganov
  • Dmitry Solansky
  • Stunt double Ratmir Romanovsky
  • Stepan Volman
  • Maria Kapustinskaya
  • Philipp Chevychelov
  • Fyodor Selkin

Crew

  • Directed by Leonid Plyaskin
  • Written by Anastasia Chistyakova
  • Based on a short story by Arkadi Arkanov
  • Produced by Vladislav Pasternak
  • Executive producer Julia Lukashuk
  • Director of photography Alexander Shtanov
  • 1st assistant director of photography Sergei Zhiganov
  • Music composed by Kim Astakhov
  • Sound director Svetlana Chesnokova
  • Sound recorded by Evgeny Lyatov, Alfina Abubakirova
  • Head of make-up department Anna Spiridonova
  • Make-up artist Valentina Artemieva
  • Choreography by Dmitry Solansky
  • 2nd assistant director Anastasia Chistyakova
  • Camera crew Victor Bogolyubov, Dmitry Medvedenko, Ilya Burov
  • Foley Vladimir Noskov, Andrey Nikitin
  • Telecine colorists Nikolai Milyayev, Andrey Savchuk
  • Production coordinator Nadezhda Ilyukevich
  • Legal services by Victor Pasternak
  • Behind the scenes shooting by Anastasia Chistyakova
  • Drivers Dmitry Zarubin, Anastasia Skryuchenkova, Vladimir Timoshin
  • Directed by Leonid Plyaskin
  • Written by Anastasia Chistyakova
  • Based on a short story by Arkadi Arkanov
  • Produced by Vladislav Pasternak
  • Director of photography Alexander Shtanov
  • Music composed by Kim Astakhov
  • Sound director Svetlana Chesnokova
  • Head of make-up department Anna Spiridonova
  • Make-up artist Valentina Artemieva
  • Choreography by Dmitry Solansky
  • Legal services by Victor Pasternak

Equipment Rentals

Post-production

Special Thanks to:

  • Sergei Selyanov and CTB Film Company, Igor Kalyonov and Nikola Film, Valery Smirnov and Vek Studio, Konstantin Lopushansky, Eduard Rozovsky, Sergei Astakhov, Valeri Revich, Konstantin Kostin, Anatoli Lapshov, Stepan Kovalenko and Miracles-Film, Mikhail Brovarnik and Sergei Turaev, Igor Kabishchev, Alexandra Olonovskaya, St. Petersburg Gymnasium #61, Nadezhda Popova and Training Film Studio of SPbGUKiT, Admiralteisky District Administration, Azimuth Hotel, Admiralteisky District Gilkomservice #2, Metropolis Night Club, Lider Club management, guest workers at 5 Vladimirsky Pr., and many other.

Press

This work is an expression of attitude of the new generation. Arkanov’s ironic short story, written decades before, here reveals an epic nature. What a valuable quality! Teenage characters depicted vividly and accurately. In addition, both the jury and the audience were shocked with the plot which can’t be broadcasted on TV.

Kirill Razlogov

This dynamic, anguished film based on a classic situation of love triangle, looks very modern and would definitely be appreciated by a wide audience. The main characters, two classmates and their female friend, meet on a roof in St. Petersburg, ready to love each other to death or jump down. Katerina’s line from Ostrovsky’s “The Storm,” learned at a literature lesson, prevails: “…why don’t people fly like birds?” They balance on the edge, recklessly deep in their feelings.

Maria Grositskaya
Culture portal

Starting with a classic form of the narrative at the beginning of the film, the director does something almost impossible in the end — he gets away from verified dramatic moves, like letting the story go. And it moves to a new — sensual — level. Сonventionality of a fiction film collapses, time stops, and the characters suddenly become real people. A script rich with events, plenty of action and, in general, a certain density of narration leave an impression of a feature-length film, although it lasts only 27 minutes and is watched smoothly.

Elmira S.,
Kinoshok Film Festival official website

Shakespeare pales beside reviving Russian cinema. Brevity is the soul of wit. In a half-hour film youthful illusions were smashed up. The truth of life, diabolical temptation. A true, not contrived passion.

Marina Suranova,
Pravda. Ru

“Lofty Senses,” a motion picture by Leonid Plyaskin, which already conquered the St. Petersburg’s Peterkit Film Festival, won the jury of Higher Directors Courses led by the institution’s rector Andrey N. Gerasimov.

Serafima Skibyuk,
Dni.ru

The audience was greatly excited by watching a movie called “Lofty Senses.” The picture deals with the problems of irrepressible teen sensitivity and sexuality. Petersburg’s intellectuals were pretty cool to have managed to confuse the seasoned Moscow public at VGIK festival with explicit scenes comparable with “Y tu mamá también” at its best. The audience reacted very actively — giggling, applauding, cracking comments.

Katya Vizgalova,
Kino-Teatr.ru

Memories of youth will rush immediately on you after watching Leonid Plyaskin’s “Lofty Senses.” Maybe there are cold winds blowing in the northern capital, but young hearts are not cooled. It was a tension that can’t leave anyone indifferent, as confirmed by the number of awards that the film has already won at various festivals.

VGIK official website

This film will blow your mind up, takes a single breath to watch

Inna Popova,
Gaudeamus newspaper

Accolades

  • Short Film Day
    6th Just Good Cinema international film festival, Yaroslavl (2017)
  • Best Debut Award to the Crew
    Literature And Cinema Festival, Gatchina (2009)
  • Grand Prix
    Golden Ribbon Contest, Tomsk (2009)
  • Grand Prix
    Interesting Movies Night, Nizhnevartovsk (2009)
  • Best Fiction Film
    Ecology of Soul Film Forum International Contest, Riga, Latvia (2009)
  • Diploma “For an Authentic and Ruthless Realization of Youthful Hypersexuality”
    St. Anna National Awards, Moscow (2008)
  • Higher Directors Courses Special Award
    Kinoshock Festival, Anapa (2008)
  • Best Acting
    Artkino Festival, Moscow (2008)
    Stepan Volman, Maria Kapustinskaya, Philipp Chevychelov
  • Best Cinematorgraphy in a Fiction Film
    Artkino Festival, Moscow (2008)
    Alexander Shtanov
  • Diploma “For Talented and Original Cinematorgaphy” (shared w/other participants)
    Peterkit Festival, Saint Petersburg (2007)
    Alexander Shtanov
  • Diploma “For Mastery in Performance” to the cast
    Peterkit Festival, Saint Petersburg (2007)
    Stepan Volman, Maria Kapustinskaya, Philipp Chevychelov
  • Best Directing
    Peterkit Festival, Saint Petersburg (2007)
    Leonid Plyaskin