VLADIMIR  VOJIR                   

treatment for TV documentary: 26 mins

co-production: Czech Television (CZ) - The Missing Piece (S) - Video 13 Production (F)

(has not been realised due to splitting of the Soviet Union in December 1991)

© Vladimir Vojir 1991

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PROLOGUE

Moscow of these days - a metropolis with 9 million citizen where native "Moskviches" form only a small fraction. The rest comprises immigrants of the wide variety of nations and nationalities. Those long decades of living in totality. The ideas used until now, even though false, which most people were confident in. Perestroika brought them in doubts and destroyed them, but, up to now, has not been able to replace them with anything else. This condition has only intensified that dominating moral devastation.

Perestroika brought freedom in certain aspects, the fear disappeared. The freedom has been given to the nation of no democratic traditions to the country of incredible amounts of problems accumulated through decades. It is like a valve opened suddenly on an overheated boiler - probably nobody is able to control, if it is to be closed again. Under the conditions of military communism the so-so function economy, based on fear principle, is being found in the state of complete decay. The fear is over and all those ideological incentives have lost their effect years ago. By means of not well thought-out regulations, Perestroika has enabled some adroit adventurers to gain immense profits, thereby the section of very rich people, though formerly very narrow, has been greatly extended. This is the source of additional social conflicts.

Always inscrutable mafia, as well as the new gangs of protectors-blackmailers. The haute bourgeoisie of this new age, that determines new moral of its specific nature, is recruited preferably from the members of those gangs, taxi drivers, prostitutes and pimps, foreign trade men, speculators and waiters. Opportunities to come into contact with foreigners has been much improved for Moscow people. In the condition of the overall destruction of value rating scale it leads to incredible consumption cretinism assuming even absurd forms. A video-set seems to be the only goal of life to strive for, murders committed for a pair of Addidas boots or walkman is quite common events. Extra high crime-rate, long distances to be travelled every day to one's work and back (several hours spent on the way is not any exception), the insufficient if any, systems of supplies and services, queues, half-empty stores. Providing only basic means of subsistence exhausts almost all one's energy, the same applies to any contact with overgrown bureaucracy, if one is to settle even the most simple affair with an office. Thousands of people from other towns and provinces dream about the life in Moscow, expecting to find their fortune there, while the real life of "Moskviches" resembles rather hell than happy life.

The above mentioned circumstances (and many additional ones, of course) represent the condition of permanent frustration determining the thoughts and behaviour of Moskviches in such a way, that the first experience of a foreigner is a kind of shock., Generally low level of social behaviour, arrogance, grudge, caricature of the West, worry, ruthlessness, narrow-minded conceit and dull resignation with hidden trend to aggression - these aspect of human behaviour one meets . anywhere in Moscow of these days.

THE PROTAGONIST

In this depressing environment, in the very centre of the city, close to Old Arbat, lives Valentin Valentinovitch, a 51 years old scientist, who has, in certain respects, the soul of a hooligan boy, and who is free of above mentioned features. He is a very racy personality - already by his appearance - being almost two metres tall.

His small three room flat is also a rarity itself, comprising such strange exhibits as a laid-up anaesthetize, taking up a third of one room, two latches, some fragments of boat motors, rare Japan mine telephones, a military communication set, ancient sextants, cameras and telescopes, and lots of various used hardware. However, in this ironmonger's storage one can find also the unique collection of Meisener porcelain a large lustre kept still from tsar's era, the volumes of precious bibliophile and the collection of ancient Tibet and lamaistic idols, inherited from Valentine's progenitors.

Valentin is a fan of work with iron, he is continuously occupied with some repairs, and in this respect he shows extraordinary skill.. However, in his own flat the things function on a parole, maybe by intention.

He works as a theoretical physicist, therefore all he needs for his work are his own head and computer printouts. All the rooms of his flat are littered with these papers. In his Institute of the Academy of Science he uses to appear about twice a month, only to hand over the results of his home activity, while the rest of his time he spends at the pace of Onegin's life style, waking up at eleven in the morning, and going to bed at about two o'clock at night. Valentin is an author of only two scientific papers. Com-pare to those of his colleagues, full of complex differential equations, his papers are brief and we find only several simple formulas. Valentin uses to say that ingenious ideas can be expressed in a simple way and he reminds Einstein's formula E=mc2. Maybe, that is why he has achieved only the title of "candidate of science" in contrast to his colleagues - doctors and professors.

His "Moskvich" car, a rusty old vehicle resembling a hardly road worthy wreck, is parked in front of the house. There is also a motor boat loaded on a small 1 trailer, to be towed with the car. The boat bears a strange sign reading: "Social Inspection". Valentin, employing some suspect methods, succeeded to smuggle himself into an ecological movement organisation; this fact has enabled him to enter even prohibited areas with his motor boat, and, not less importantly, to buy gasoline at a reduced price. Apart from his scientific activities, the boat and adventure appear to be his hobbies. In total, almost one third of a year Valentin uses to spend his time on rivers and lakes, in company of some of his girlfriends. He camps out on river banks and islands far from people, goes water-skiing and wanders about forests picking raspberries or mushrooms. He uses his binocular and watches naked village women bathing next to the Volga riverside. In the middle of some lakes he drinks his tea and high-quality home-brew of his own production. Till the late night he sits at his fireplace - mostly alone - and he thinks out his ingenious simple inventions and applications. He is well aware that the official system of inventions and patents in the Soviet Union is bureaucratised and it gives almost no chance to an individual but Valentin amuses him-self with it. His inventions are a little bit rarities but some of them are really implemented abroad much later.

Valentin meets more and more difficulties in enlisting companions on his journeys. His Moscow equals in age and profession prefer visiting museums, galleries, theatres and opera performances. Those are incredibly boring affairs for Valentin. It is a kind of paradox because, only incidentally, we learn about his high level of being well read and about his almost encyclopaedic knowledge of cultural and political issues. At a glance, Valentine's opinions on the events taking place in the Soviet Union seem to be only superficial and oversimplifying. However, gradually we have to admit that they are supported with his deep and profound knowledge of the matter, exactly grasping the essence of problems.

Valentin takes no care on the problems he cannot change and, among the most of Moskviches, he simply appears to be an unique while very specific personality who keeps his humour and bird's eye view on that oppressing and discouraging reality, as well as his ability of parody and, preferably his overall approach to the life.

BASIC FILM CONCEPTS AND IDEAS

The film is intended as a portrait of this extraordinary man, composed step by step from the scenes of his life in Moscow. These pictures should be selected to characterise best his behaviour, views and more importantly his approach to the life. At the same time, their sequence would be composed in order to show Valentin, at the beginning of the film as an eccentric, not well understandable character who will be able to enchant viewers in the end, maybe with some reserves, maybe even against their own will.

This main line of the story would get a rhythm using the pictures of contemporary Moscow, neither intended as a complex grasp of reality, nor an analysis of causes and circumstances of the reality. On the contrary, our approach will reflex the impressions of a foreigner who meets Moscow for the first time and who has got no knowledge and ideas. He is able only to perceive the visible aspects of these events, how-ever, who keeps himself at a distance from them. The overall picture would result in the image of hectic waxwork of rarities, absurdities and caricatures of human beings.

The two mentioned lines will penetrate on another one and will get purposeful gradation to give both the initial contrast and its gradual inversion. Seemingly normal life of Moskviches in contrast to eccentric Valentin regarded as nearly madman by others - through the cross-point of identity: eccentric Valentin as an integral product of that ill society - up to the final inversion: the total destruction of values, distorted human relations, the senseless life of the most of other people, in contrast to Valentin, this Russian "Zorbas the Greek". Valentin, even under given conditions, is able to get his own way and his life is beautiful and has its raison d'etre.

The film would also imply the following "dialectic" laws:

1) Valentine's existence is determined regularly by existing reality. In spite of it (or just because of it - see below) he manages to be as he is. At the same time, he exerts also an influence on that real environment, including the people round him. In the final scene Valentin, being confronted with a typical frustrated Moskvich, can break his crust of resigned arrogance using his light humorous approach and for a while he brings some spark and a little light into the life of this Moskvich.

2) The lack of freedom and consequent limitations (both spiritual, political and material) has adverse effect on the society as a whole, hampering and distorting the development of personalities. On the other hand, this actuation also induces some latent abilities in people, e.g. getting over those limitations, improvisation and invention in seeking possible and purposeful way of one's life, and in such a way it produces also extraordinary personalities.

These personalities can become ingenious artists and/or "only" beautiful human beings but in fact they have developed themselves in this way thanks to those limitations!

 

Prague, 1991, January 15

translation: Dr. Jaromir Hanzlik

© Vladimir Vojir 1991

 

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