Days of Eclipse

Days of Eclipse
Days of Eclipse
	Film poster
Russian	Дни затмения
Directed by	Alexander Sokurov
Written by	Yuri Arabov; Pyotr Kadochnikov; Arkady and Boris Strugatsky;
Cinematography	Sergei Yurizditsky
Edited by	Leda Semyonova
Music by	Yuri Khanin (original score); Vladimir Persov (sound);
Distributed by	Lenfilm; Troitskiy Most Studio; Prodimag (Spain, 2005 DVD);
Release date	1988;
Running time	133 minutes
Country	Soviet Union
Languages	Russian; Turkmen; Italian;

Days of Eclipse (Дни затмения) (or, The Days of Eclipse, Dni Zatmenija, Días de eclipse) is a 1988 Soviet film directed by Alexander Sokurov.^[1] The screenplay is by Yuri Arabov and Pyotr Kadochnikov based on a screenplay by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, which is in turn based on their 1974 novel Definitely Maybe (За миллиард лет до конца света).

Plot

A recently qualified medical doctor, Dmitri Malyanov, has taken a posting to a remote and very poor part of Soviet Turkmenistan. On top of his day job as a pediatrician Malyanov is undertaking research into the effects of religious practice on human health. His research has drawn the politically incorrect conclusion that religious faith does indeed improve health. However, as he attempts to write up his thesis, various sorts of improbable, bizarre events take place one after another. Malyanov perceives that some force is preventing him from completing his research.

Production

In the novel, the protagonist who works on research in astrophysics is similarly confounded by a mysterious force trying to interfere and impede his research. Days of Eclipse is filmed using unusual cinematographic techniques in a half-documentary manner where black-and-white and sepia frames alternate with color. Sokurov chose for the film's location the town in Turkmenistan where he had spent his childhood as the son of an Army officer.^[2]

Cast

The film features a cast of non-professionals.

Aleksei Ananishnov as Malyanov
Eskender Umarov as Vecherovsky
Irina Sokolova as Malyanov's Sister
Vladimir Zamansky as Snegovoy
Kirill Dudkin as Gluchov
Aleksei Yankovsky as Snegovoy's Father
Viktor Belovolsky as Gubar
Sergei Krylov as Little Boy

Awards

European Film Awards (Special Award for Best Music) of European Film Academy of 1988 to the composer Yuri Khanin
Nika Award of the Union of Cinematographers of USSR for the best 1989 sound work to Vladimir Persov
Composer Yuri Khanin was also nominated for 1989 Nika for the best music

References

^ Peter Rollberg (2009). Historical Dictionary of Russian and Soviet Cinema. US: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 166. ISBN 978-0-8108-6072-8.
^ The Cinema of Alexander Sokurov, ed. Birgit Beumers and Nancy Condee, pp. 77; I.B.Tauris, 2011,

External links

Days of Eclipse at IMDb
(in Russian) Days of Eclipse commentary by Irina Graschenkova

[1] Peter Rollberg (2009). Historical Dictionary of Russian and Soviet Cinema. US: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 166. ISBN 978-0-8108-6072-8.

[2] The Cinema of Alexander Sokurov, ed. Birgit Beumers and Nancy Condee, pp. 77; I.B.Tauris, 2011,

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