RAY / PARADISE

Paradise tells the compelling story of three individuals, Olga, Jules and Helmut, whose paths cross amidst the devastation of war. Olga, a Russian aristocratic immigrant and member of the French Resistance, is arrested by Nazi police for hiding Jewish children during a surprise raid. In jail she meets Jules, a French-Nazi collaborator who is assigned to investigate her case. Jules grows fond of Olga and offers to go light on her punishment in exchange for sexual favours. Although Olga agrees, her hope for freedom quickly fades when events take an unexpected turn. Shipped to a concentration camp, Olga is forced into a life of hell. To her surprise, she crosses paths with high-ranking German SS officer Helmut, who once fell madly in love with her and still harbours feelings. They re-kindle their old flame and embark on a twisted and destructive relationship. Helmut resolves to rescue Olga and offers her an escape. Yet as time passes, and the fate of Nazi defeat looms, Olga’s notion of Paradise is irrevocably changed.

ANDREI KONCHALOVSKIY

 

Andrei Konchalovsky was born as Andron Sergeyevich Mikhalkov in 1937 in Moscow, into the artistic family. His younger brother is a famous director Nikita Mikhalkov. Konchalovsky is a theatre and film director, film producer and screenwriter. He studied at the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography (VGIK), under Mikhail Romm. There he met Andrei Tarkovsky and co-scripted Tarkovsky's The Steamroller and the Violin (1960) and Andrei Rublev (1966).

Konchalovsky helmed his first feature in 1965, The First Teacher. It was favourably received in the Soviet Union and screened by numerous film festivals abroad. His next film The Story of Asya Klyachina, Who Loved But Did Not Marry although made in 1967 was not released until two decades later because it failed to comply with the strict requirements of the Soviet censorship of the period. When issued, it was acclaimed as his masterpiece. Thereupon, Konchalovsky filmed adaptations of Ivan Turgenev's A Nest of Gentle Folk (1969), and Chekhov's Uncle Vanya (1971), which is commonly regarded as one of the best films in the Russian language ever.

His epic Siberiade (1978) was internationally acclaimed and from then onwards his career has been international in scope. His most popular Hollywood releases are Maria's Lovers (1984), Runaway Train (1985), Duet for One (1986), the award-winning Homer and Eddie (1989), as well as Tango & Cash (1989).

In the early 1990s he returned to Russia and he is currently residing in Moscow.

Konchalovsky’s House of Fools (2002) was warmly received in Europe and won him a Silver Lion at the 2002 Venice Film Festival. For his feature film The Postman's White Nights (2014), Andrei Konchalovsky won the Silver Lion for Best Director at the Venice International Film Festival in 2014. His latest film Paradise (2016) won a Silver Lion for Best Director at the 73^rd Venice International Film Festival.