At the 11th OIFF, Ukrainian director, screenwriter and film producer Roman Balayan will receive the Golden Duke Award of the 11th Odessa International Film Festival for his contribution to filmmaking. During his career, he made 15 films, wrote scripts for up to 7 films and produced two films.
“Usually, awards for the contribution are given over the years. I hope this is not the case. I would always like to correspond to such an award and the meaning inherent in it," Roman Balayan commented.
Roman Balayan started as a director in 1970 at the Kyiv Film Studio. He later taught at the Higher Courses for Screenwriters and Directors of the USSR State Cinema, where Sergei Masloboyshchikov studied in his studio. Roman Gurgenovich himself considers himself a student of Sergei Parajanov.
His directorial debut took place in 1973. Roman Balayan's second film, Biryuk, was nominated for a Golden Bear at the 1977 Berlinale. And the feature film "Flights in Dreams and Realities" in 1987 became one of the highest grossing hits of Soviet cinema. This tape became a generalization of the tragedy of the generation that lived in the absurd realities of the late socialist regime.
"Roman Balayan is one of the most significant Ukrainian directors of our time. And although he himself does not like epithets like "legendary", he really is more than just a director. Roman Gurgenovich, like no other, is able to capture life and its everyday life, shooting it so poetically that the viewer immediately falls in love with his work. "It is really an honor for us to present the Golden Duke to such a director," said Victoria Tigipko, President of the Odessa International Film Festival.
Among the most famous works of Roman Balayan - "Biryuk", "Flights in a dream and waking", "Two months, three suns", "Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk County", "Birds of Paradise" and others. Roman Balayan has a number of awards for his work. In particular, he was awarded the Golden Tulip Prize of the Istanbul Film Festival for the film "Take Care of Me, My Mascot", the "Nick" Award for "Best Film of the CIS and Baltic States" with the film "Birds of Paradise". In 1997, Roman Balayan received the title of People's Artist of Ukraine, and in 2001 - Academician of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine.
This year, the 11th Odessa International Film Festival will take place online from September 25 to October 3.
