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"Kin-dza-dza!": how Georgy Danelia filmed the classics of Russian cinema

 Fiction, a special niche of genre Soviet cinema. Far from every Soviet film director had a desire to shoot space fiction, in the image and likeness of Star Wars, in the period of the 80s, and numerous censors invested their feasible mite in this.

But, this is what distinguishes a master from an ordinary, albeit not deprived of talent, artist: an idea came up - he brought it to life.

Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"
Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"
Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"
Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"
Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"
Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"
Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"
Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"

So it was with the script of the new film by  George Danelia . He - having managed to   shoot  "Afonya", "Mimino" and "Autumn Marathon"  (and other equally famous films) before "Kin-dza-dzy" , had a huge experience and reputation as a leading Soviet film director, having read a quarter of the script of the new film of which , Minister of Cinema Kashmalov said in 1984:

"If it weren't for your name, I would immediately throw out this nonsense."
Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"
Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"
Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"
Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"
Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"
Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"

Together with a friend, screenwriter Rezo Gabriadze, Georgy Danelia, they worked on the script for several months. He repeatedly corresponded, modified, but still was brought to its logical conclusion. Initially, the film was supposed to  be called "Stardust" , according to the script,  Leonid Yarmolnik , who was supposed to play in the film, was assigned the role of a trader in this very dust.

But, due to a number of circumstances, Yarmolnik never got into the film, his character was removed from the script, and the film itself began to be called as everyone knows it today - "Kin-dza-dza".

Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"
Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"
Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"
Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"
Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"
Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"

By the way, Yarmolnik is far from the only actor who could not take part in the filming of the film. So, for example, Alexander Fatyushin was originally planned for the role of Uncle Vova, who was brilliantly played by Stanislav Lyubshin. But, due to disagreements with the leadership of the theater in which he was in the service, he could not film with Danelia.

The role of B, played by Yuri Yakovlev, was planned (in turn) by  Alexei Petrenko and Valentin Gaft . The first - refused because he did not like the script (it was not surprising, in those days), the second - initially even participated in rehearsals, but also refused the role, due to the fact that the director gave him a person (as it seemed to him) little time.

Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"
Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"
Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"
Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"
Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"
Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"

Another actor -  Borislav Brondukov , was supposed to play in the film. A role was written specially for him, even old posters remained, where he poses as a chatlanin and the role itself was comparable to the roles of the main characters of the film, but the actor’s health (he suffered a stroke by the beginning of filming) did not allow the director to realize his plan.

In addition to the listed actors, Galina Volchek, Rolan Bykov, Oleg Basilashvili, Vakhtang Kikabidze were supposed to play episodic roles in the film, but we did not see any of them (for various reasons and, unfortunately) in the final version of the film.

Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"
Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"
Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"
Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"
Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"
Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"

There were also some oddities on the set. One foreign director (presumably the United States) asked Danelia about the special effects in the film, to which he received an answer:

Everything was filmed without special effects, the equipment involved in the filming is our domestic, of course, military and representing state secrets. In order not to be recognized as a spy, contact our military department for clarification.

And, allegedly, the American even applied, to which Danelia received criticism from the USSR Ministry of Defense.

Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"
Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"
Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"
Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"
Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"
Frame from the film "Kin-dza-dza!"

By the way, films like "Kin-dza-dze" were also filmed abroad. The closest analogue, in my opinion  , is "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" , which was filmed much later than "Kin-dza-dzy" - in 2005. There is a kind of English humor in the film and, frankly, it is not for everybody. But there is a certain analogy.

But, that's a completely different story...

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