Yuri Bykov has gained popularity and the reputation of a talented, honest director with his films "Fool" and "Major". In addition, on his account the famous television series "Method".
Yuri Bykov became famous as a director, screenwriter and producer. In addition, he has appeared in several films as an actor. His paintings reliably show the unsightly side of Russian life. For honesty and penetration, Bykov’s films received several prestigious awards and audience recognition. In October 2017, after the public negatively accepted the series Sleepers, considering it propaganda, he announced his withdrawal from the film business.
Childhood and the first steps in the movie
Yuri Bykov was born in 1981 in the provincial town of Novomichurinsk. His parents were not rich and could not provide a decent existence. When Yuri was still a child, his father left the family, and his mother married again.
From an early age, Bykov saw the difficult existence of ordinary Russian people who are forced to spend all their time and energy on survival. Thoughts about spirituality in such circumstances do not remain. The director claims that even now the situation in small cities of the Russian Federation has not changed.
According to Bykov, organized criminal groups flourished in his native places, participation in which was not considered something shameful or unusual. And the future figure of cinema himself carried out small orders of bandits.
The young man plunged into literature, became an author in a city newspaper. In addition, he studied music, played in groups. Studying suffered from this, but the first impetus to creativity was given.
The first time after school, Yuri Bykov worked as a loader, stage engineer. At the same time, he began to participate in the performances of the local theater group. Thus began his activity in art. Soon the young man realized that it was in this area - his recognition and decided to enter the theater school.
Fate gave him such a chance: the teacher of GITIS, the famous director Boris Nevzorov, appeared in Novomichurinsk, who appreciated Bykov's talent and offered to enter his course. Six months later, Yuri transferred to VGIK, which he graduated in 2005.
He began his acting career in the famous Moscow theaters: the Moscow Art Theater, Et Cetera, and the Theater of the Russian Army. He starred in films and series in episodic roles. He made a living as an animator in children's clubs. According to the recognition of the star and the hopes of Russian cinema, he sincerely loved this work and recalls it with nostalgia.
During this period, most of the acting work of Bykov falls, most of which are insignificant. He made his debut in the film "Love as Love" in 2006. On the screen, the young actor stayed no more than a minute. He had a small role in the series "Everything was mixed in the house." In total, Bykov played in 20 with small films and series, including Ranetki, SSD, Keys to Happiness, Tanks Are Not Afraid of Dirt, and Always Say “Always” -5. Appeared in episodic roles in his own films "Major", "Method", "Sleeping".
The recognized masterpieces of cinema, which Bykov watched at this time, had a great influence on his work. Among the most significant director calls:
- The Godfather and The Godfather 2;
- "Start";
- “There is no ford in the fire”;
- “The entire presidential army”;
- "Check on the road";
- "Andrei Rublev."
He took his first steps in directing in 2005, when he shot several commercials. Then for 4 years he created short films, which he himself called unsuccessful.
First successes
Filmed in 2009, the short film "The Chief", filmed with the director’s own money, received the main prize of the prestigious All-Russian Kinotavr contest.
The first full meter shot in 2010. Independent motion picture "Live" was recognized by critics. Although the film did not go on sale, it gained fans.
The firm principles of creating real art appeared in the early period of directorial work. The director refused to shoot the series "The Village" because of a disagreement with the producer. For the departure, he paid film companies more than 2 million rubles.
In 2011, the criminal series "Cashiers" was released. The film starred Daniil Strakhov, Elena Lyadova. It was released on Russian screens only in 2016.
Confession
Great success came to Yuri Bykov with the film "Major". The crime drama, shot with subtle psychologism and knowledge of social realities, brought the director several awards, including the Shanghai International Film Festival. Foreign film companies became interested in the film, an American remake of the picture is planned.
The film “The Fool”, released in 2014, consolidated Bykov’s position as one of the main Russian directors of our time. He received prizes from numerous film festivals for screenwriting and directing. The audience appreciated the uncompromising honesty and sincerity of the movie. The American newspaper "The New York Times" gave him fourth place in the list of best films of 2015.
Widespread recognition and popularity came with the television series "Method", which was released in 2014. He received the TEFI Award as the best series of the year. Bykov, on the recommendations of producer Alexander Tsekalo, was inspired by the projects of the American HBO channel and filmed "Method" in the spirit of a light entertaining movie with elements of an action movie. Bykov refused to shoot the second season, considering his experience with this product to be exhausted. In addition, the director wanted to engage in serious author's cinema.
Solid creative principles prevented him from completing the film “Time of the First”, which was dedicated to the first Russian astronauts. Bykov had a disagreement with the producer, Timur Bekmambetov, who preferred a simplified "Hollywood" presentation. The film was completely re-shot, of the scenes created by Yuri, only one remained.
Yuri is the author of four full-length and one short films. He himself created the scripts for his films "Live" and "Major."
Despite the large number of interviews and willing conversations with reporters, Bykov is reluctant to talk about his personal life. According to rumors, the director recently married.
Bykov himself wrote the music for his three films:
- "Live";
- "Fool";
- "Major."
Colleagues Bykov, eminent directors, enthusiastically respond to his work. Emir Kusturica called him "very talented", and Andrei Zvyagintsev called him "a strong director."
In just a few years of his directorial career, Yuri Bykov managed to get a huge number of awards.
- For the short film "Head" - the main prize of the competition "Kinotavr. Short meter "and a special prize of the international Berlin festival" Interfest ".
- For the film "Live" - a prize for an outstanding debut in the feature film of the international festival "Stalker", a special prize of the Taipei Film Festival.
- For the film "Major" - prizes for the best film, best directing and outstanding artistic contribution of the international festival in Shanghai, participation in the "criticism week" of the Cannes Film Festival, nomination for the Kinotavr and prizes of several other prestigious film festivals.
- For the film “The Fool” - a prize for the best screenplay, a diploma of the Guild of film critics and film critics, an award for audience sympathy “Kinotavra”, a prize of the youth jury in Locarno, an award for the best screenplay in Dublin and at the film award “Nika”.
- For the series “Method” - the TEFI award for the best series of the year, the New York Film Festival award, and the Golden Eagle nomination.
Leaving the cinema
In 2016, Bykov completed the shooting of the television series Sleeping according to the script of Sergey Minaev. This product was not like films made by the director before. Yuri himself explained this by the fact that instead of the originally promised author’s project, the series became ordinary commercial products. The role of Bykov was limited.
The series aroused the rejection of viewers, especially long-time fans of the director. Under the pressure of negative reviews, Bykov posted a statement on his social network, in which he repented of the betrayal of views and the "modern progressive generation." Apologizing to the audience, Yuri announced his departure from the cinema after the completion of ongoing projects.
Outlook on life
Bykov considers himself a progressive person, a socialist and a nonconformist. In his work he focuses on ordinary people from the backwoods, trying to express their views and life on the screen.
Yuri admits that he is prone to depression, and after filming the movie "The Fool" he was so spiritually exhausted that he thought about suicide. There are no happy endings in his films, since, according to the director, they are impossible in life. Bykov is convinced that the path to enlightenment lies through suffering.
Related article
Andrei Petrovich Zvyagintsev: biography, career and personal life
