Alexander Rodnyansky about the release of "Leviathan" in America and the benefits of pirates

Leviathan producers Alexander Rodnyansky and Sergei Melkumov, director Andrei Zvyagintsev (center). Photo by the press service of A Company Russia

Although the Russian “Leviathan” did not receive an American Oscar, the film was released in wide release in the United States. Forum asked the film's producer, Alexander Rodnyansky, who is still in Los Angeles, why the statuette was not given to him. He also told how much “Leviathan” earned in America, and explained that he was not very offended by the pirates who posted the film on the Internet.

The New York Times called "Leviathan" Russia's greatest cinematic achievement in the last 10 years. The film opened in American theaters on December 25. How long will the film be in theaters and what are the box office numbers so far from American audiences?

The film's release in the US is just beginning. This is a “long” release that will take about a year and will reach its maximum number of screens around June. This is a way of distributing difficult films, little known even in Europe, when the show begins on several screens. We started with two - one in New York, one in Los Angeles. Then it reaches a maximum, after the peak point it goes down again. Now we have about 705 thousand dollars in the USA and Canada.

When it passes for a million, we will begin to expand.

What is the advantage of this type of rental?

“Love” by Michael Haneke and “The Divorce of Nader and Simin” by Asghar Farhadi were shown in the same way. When it comes to auteur independent cinema, and even in a foreign language,

The main tool for its promotion is the “sundress”, a good press and a good opinion of people who go to the cinema.

Here, the “right” cinemas that accumulate an educated, interested audience are more important than release in the maximum number of cinemas in a relatively short period, as is the case with blockbusters or big genre films. This is a completely different strategy.

Alexander Rodnyansky in Los Angeles. Photo of the press service of A Company Russia

Not all Russian films are shown to American audiences. What is special about “Leviathan” and why is it interesting to the viewer here? Did it fall into the trend of the Russian issue, did it coincide with the “topic of the day”?

Films from Russia, Eastern Europe and the former Soviet republics have difficulty crossing the borders of their linguistic territories, and very rarely make it into full distribution in the United States. This is due to the special specifics of American distribution, the richness of their own industry, and its ability to satisfy diverse tastes. But also with the lost positions of post-Soviet cinema throughout the world. Of course, it is difficult to return them. Therefore, there is no need to talk about the distribution of domestic films as a phenomenon or system.

As for “Leviathan”, it fell not so much into the segment of films “on the topic of the day”, but rather films that attract with their artistic value, falling into the segment of that class of auteur cinema, which is of interest to a kind of gourmet cinema.

That is, people who want to keep abreast of what is happening in cinema as an art. People who follow the results of international festivals, read the press, and are interested in the opinions of critics. We are talking about an audience traditionally in America called the “coast audience” - people living in big cities on the east or west coast.

The release of Leviathan is not my first experience of distributing a film on the American market. Andrei Zvyagintsev’s previous film “Elena” was released by Zeitgeist, which has been very successful in releasing original films in America for the past 30 years. For example, Christopher Nolan's first film “Following” was distributed by them. Before “Elena,” there was not a single Russian film among Zeitgeist’s films—they found “Elena” interesting for American audiences. And even though the box office results were not great, the film collected its legitimate $300 thousand on thirteen screens.

Then “Stalingrad” was released in America, albeit very briefly, again, but in all IMAX theaters in North America.

“Stalingrad” became the first and so far the only domestic film to date, shot entirely (and not converted) and released in IMAX 3D format.

In other words, in order to become part of the American film distribution, it is important not to specifically shoot the film, guided solely by this goal, but to make a very high-quality film with a desire to achieve an understanding of the universal audience, not only domestic, but also one that will sympathize with human history, without waiting explanations of local history.

Is there any specificity of marketing promotion of Russian films in America?

There is no separate segment called “Russian cinema”, “Polish” or even “French”. There is a "foreign language" here, not in English. There are specifics to such cinema, as there are to any auteur cinema. On the posters you will see quotes from the main American publications with the highest star ratings given to this or that film. That is, from the very beginning, this is an appeal to those viewers who respond to the recommendations of major publications and powerful critics.

Because the mass audience that goes to see Fifty Shades of Gray or even the much more complex and talented film Interstellar does not need the opinion of a New York Times or New Yorker critic.

It was the New York Times that gave your film the highest accolades.

Films for the mass audience do not need them. But we definitely need “Ida” [a film by Polish director Pawel Pawlikowski, which won an Oscar this year for best foreign film] and “The Imitation Game” [a film about English mathematician Alan Turing] because we need to attract attention audience of caring, active, very highly educated, of which there are many in the United States. Therefore, there is a specificity of independent auteur cinema, but specifically Russian cinema does not.

“Leviathan,” I’m not afraid of these words, is very highly appreciated by the world media, not only Russian. The most serious aggregator sites (in particular, Rotten Tomatoes) give it an average score of 99 out of 100 possible.

The first reaction of the international press took place after the show in Cannes, where the film won the prize "For the Best Screenplay"

Yes, it happened literally the next morning after the show for the press. On the day of the premiere, newspapers with fantastic reviews have appeared, the general mood of which is conveyed by the title of one of the materials “New Russian Masterpiece” (the French newspaper Le Figaro came out with this title).

From the very beginning it was clear that we enjoyed the favor of the press. This attitude is a key marketing tool for distributors.

Our American distributor, the most famous company in the independent film segment, Sony Pictures Classics, knows how to work with such films. Leviathan has had an extremely successful international theatrical life - the film was successfully released in France, Great Britain, Switzerland, Belgium, Brazil, Holland and many other countries, and very soon, in mid-March, it will be released in Germany and Scandinavia.

And yet, the political situation often influences the results of all kinds of competitions. Even in sports, where there seems to be no room for manipulation. Is there even the slightest chance that Leviathan didn't win an Oscar for this reason? After all, many critics stated that if the film received this award, it would be a big slap in the direction of Russia and everyone who does not recognize the real state of affairs in it.

I don’t think anyone can influence the Oscars. The academy's six thousand members vote based on their own preferences.

I can personally imagine why they chose the film “Ida”. We are not far behind, apparently. “Ida” is a wonderful, stylish painting, deep and subtle, made in the best traditions of the Polish school of the 50s and 60s. The director and producer are quite close friends of mine. I am very happy for them, and I am very sorry that we ended up in the same category. It’s unlikely that anyone interfered, especially since [members of the film academy] are people who are far from such contexts and understandings.

Alexander Rodnyansky. Photo of the press service of A Company Russia

I admit something terrible; I watched “Leviathan” online. How would you estimate the losses from people like me - who watched it but didn’t make it to the cinema?

"Leviathan" looked on the network, in my approximate representation, 5-6 million.

A very large part of our audience, unfortunately, has already lost the habit of film distribution or has never got used to going to the cinema. There are four million moviegoers in Russia who regularly go to the cinema.

But it was a shame to make plans, schedules, and suddenly ...

To be honest, at first I was very upset when Andrei Zvyagintsev [director] and I discovered that two days before the Golden Globe ceremony the film went online, and there was no way to stop this flow. On the other hand, it suddenly made the painting part of public life. The discussion reached a level of intensity that has not been seen since perestroika. Perhaps, it can only be compared with the release of the film “Little Faith” or “Repentance,” which, at one time, split society and forced everyone to talk about themselves and speak out.

Also “Leviathan” - everyone spoke out, for or against, somehow became emotionally involved, we received a whole variety of accusations and insults addressed to us. But, on the other hand, we also received a lot of support. That is

the picture has split society, and without its existence online, this would not have happened.

About the Leviathan prizes

The film received the prize for best screenplay at the Cannes Film Festival and the American Golden Globe Award for best foreign language film.

“Leviathan” is the fourth film by director Andrei Zvyagintsev, awarded a prize at the world’s largest film festival. His first film, The Return, won two Golden Lions at the Venice Film Festival (best film and best debut). The second, “Exile,” won the Cannes Film Festival prize for Best Actor. The third film, Elena, received a special prize in the Un Certain Regard program at the Cannes Film Festival.