17:46, 5 June 2017

Nalchik residents do not understand Kantemir Balagov's decision not to show his "Tesnota" in their city

Screenshot of the film "Tesnota" (Squeeze). Screenshot of the French movie trailer

Film director Kantemir Balagov has made a strange decision when he forbad showing his film "Tesnota" (Squeeze) in Nalchik. This opinion was voiced by residents of the city interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot". Meanwhile, the people expressed their pride for the pupil of Alexander Sokurov. In Russia, the premiere of the film "Tesnota" will take place at the "Kinotavr" festival in Sochi.

The film "Tesnota" won the FIPRESCI prize of the International Federation of Cinematographers in the second most important contest programme of the Cannes Film Festival "The Special View".

According to Timur Tenov, Associate Professor of the Kabardino-Balkarian State University (KBSU), the film is focused on a "rather closed topic almost never professionally covered."

"The events in the film occur against the backdrop of the collapse of the USSR and in the very heart of the Caucasus. The film tells people a tragic story. Besides, it also touches the ever relevant topic the history of the Jewish people," noted Timur Tenov.

He has not ruled out that the Kantemir Balagov's decision not to show his film in Nalchik is a "very emotional message to specific people or organizations."

In the film, there is a scene where teenagers watch a video in which Chechen fighters cut off heads of Russians. "These are memories of my childhood," the "Vokrug TV" quotes Kantemir Balagov as saying.

Kantemir Balagov himself emphasizes that his film is based on real events.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.

Author: Lyudmila Maratova

Source: CK correspondent