We were wondering what exactly happened to Russian filmmaker Alexander Sokurov’s “Fairytale” which had been submitted to the last Cannes Film Festival.
It turns out Sokurov originally hoped to screen “Fairytale”, at Cannes, but the film just wasn’t selected. Was it because it hailed from Russia? Or was it just not good enough for the Cannes committee’s tastes?
“It seems to me that Cannes was afraid of the [film]. A few hours before the screening the Cannes directorate cancelled the session. Did this situation surprise me? Well, no. My previous work “Francofonia” has the same fate in Cannes. It’s a strange place. At least now I know for sure – I am very disliked in Cannes. First, as a director, then as a Russian… Or vice versa?”
Sokurov (“Russian Ark”) had blamed Cannes for discrimination back in April. Earlier that month, Sokurov claimed, to Russian media, that he declined Cannes' "personal" invitation to screen “Fairytale” at the prestigious festival. The filmmaker vaguely explained that the film was "too serious to participate at Cannes”. It now turns out that wasn’t true.
Consider me intrigued by the Russian master’s latest. If it’s half as invigorating as “Russian Ark” then it no doubt deserved a competition slot at Cannes. If you remember, “Russian Ark,” a glorious film shot entirely in one-take and zipping through Russian history, was the toast of Cannes back in 2002.
Sokurov currently teaches film at a Russian university. Fellow countryman Kirill Serebrennikov’s “Tchaikovsky’s Wife” was however selected for this past May’s Cannes competition. Serebrennikov had left Russia for Berlin and said he had no intention of returning to his home country.
This is the adaptation of the nonfiction book by Dan Schilling and Lori Longfritz. It wrapped production in February and has been in post-production ever since. The film test-screened a few months ago.