Childhood Man - Interview

Once we laughed together with Grachevsky, retelling to each other plots from the Yeralash TV program. Then they laughed without him, sometimes returning with the children. But it always seemed that this person from childhood of several generations is much more serious than it seems. And there was definitely a suspicion that this seriousness of his with a strong shade of sadness inherent in wise people.

BIOGRAPHY

On March 18, 1949, Boris Grachevsky, a Russian director and screenwriter, organizer of film production, was born. Artistic director of the children's newsreel "Yeralash", the author of the collection of humorous sayings of a sexual nature "Idiocy". He graduated from a mechanical technical school, where he received the specialty of a turner. Studied at VGIK at the Faculty of Organization of Film Production.

1974 - together with the playwright Alexander Khmelik he founded the children's newsreel "Yeralash".

2000 - awarded the title "Honored Artist of the Russian Federation".

Member of the Russian Academy of Motion Picture Arts. Winner of the Golden Aries prize, two-time winner of the Golden Ostap. Creator of documentaries, author of the "Social Advertising" project.

2009 - awarded with the Order of Honor.

2008-2009 - shot his first full-length feature film "The Roof", which was released in September 2009.

Since 2009, he has been the chairman of the Video Battles jury several times.

Since 2013 she has been taking part in charitable projects for children with disabilities at the International Art Center of Margarita Maiskaya "Art-Izo-Center" / Art-Izo-Center.

OUR PSYCHOLOGY: Boris Yuryevich, in addition to everyone's favorite "Yeralash", you started making feature films ("The Roof"), and now a new film "Between Notes" is being released. What prompted you to do this?

BORIS GRACHEVSKY: I'm not that tired of filming Yeralash, I just wanted to show the audience something new. I shoot other films, write scripts and poems, here is the latest: "Stars in the sky, thousands of stars, life pages full of dreams, Dreams could not become reality, the stars remained, and the years are gone."

NP: Sad

BG: Yes, it's sad … And my full-length films, although they start out cheerfully, end up sadly.

NP: Did this sadness appear after many years of cheerful "Yeralash"?

BG: Not really, they just don't know me as I am. I am terribly curious about life. And this curiosity gives me an impetus to this or that idea. I am interested in the world, people, life is interesting. And about this I talk, write, shoot.

Between notes

In July 2014, Grachevsky, as a director, began production of the dramatic film Between Notes, or a Tantric Symphony about the late love of a world-famous composer and a young girl from the provinces. The main roles were played by Andrey Ilyin and Yanina Melekhova.

NP: Today, parents are so busy that they cannot pay attention to their children, they live their own lives or go into virtual reality. How to be?

BG: My parents were always busy. And they didn't have enough time for children. Adults must understand that if they do not pay attention to children, are not interested in them, know what they are doing, then their child may end up on the Roof, like the characters in my film. The heroine of the film, played by Maria Shukshina, says at the meeting: “Do you know who your child is sitting with? You know?" Ask yourself about this and you.

NP: Has your attitude towards loved ones, relatives, others changed?

BG: Of course, it has changed and is changing. There was a period (I was forty years old) when I could say: "I will not shake hands with you, you villain!" Over time, I began to feel sorry for this man, I began to think why I said so, tried to justify him in my own eyes. Then I realized that no one and nothing can re-educate a person. And he began to quietly move away from such people. Over the years, I started calling friends and acquaintances and praising: what an amazing interview, what a good film, how great you made it or how well you played the role.

NP: Even if it's not true?

BG: Yes, and so too. This is very important when your colleagues tell you something. The most important thing is to feel people. You can think and philosophize ad infinitum, or you can follow the shortest and simplest path - as they say, "the mouth of a baby speaks the truth." Many years ago on the Kinopanorama program we sat with Eldar Ryazanov, Alexander Khmelik and a boy from Yeralash, Max Sidorov. We talked about life, Ryazanov drove into some terrible jungle about relationships, the screen, spectators, children. Then he turned to Maxim and asked: "Do you understand what we are talking about now?" Maxim replied: "Of course, you are talking about childhood with laughter." Life cannot be viewed one-sidedly, there are no recipes, no measurements. The rake can come out on the flattest place. You need to admire life and enjoy it.

NP: How to achieve this?

BG: A person must live in harmony. And this applies to all aspects of life, including sexual. If you woke up in the morning, as Zinovy Gerdt said, and nothing hurts you, then you are dead. The harmony is that you saw the morning and you are glad that you woke up, work and activity await you.

NP: Did you have a “laughing” childhood?

BG: I had a wonderful childhood, I grew up near Moscow, in a rest home. My parents loved me, they were very different. Mom - restrained, never lisp, did not say: "my boy …" She was not that severe, but restrained. Dad is a cheerful person, he always danced and sang. My father taught me to painting, to classical music.

NP: What kind of father are you?

BG: I am a very democratic dad. But from experience I know that freedom must also be up to a certain limit. The main thing in raising a child is respect for his interests. And you have to be there. But at any moment it can happen that a child climbs on your neck. And here, of course, we must look for the line. And as soon as you see that the child steps over it, stop immediately.

NP: You often hear that "Yeralash" has become different, earlier it was smarter. Is it so?

BG: It all depends on the time in which we live. Here is a story about Wi-Fi from the last episodes. Children with a teacher went on a hike and for a long, long time looking for a place to set up tents. Suddenly one of the children shouts: "Elena Petrovna-ah, in my opinion, here Wi-Fi is catching!" Instantly, everyone forgets about business and goes headlong into gadgets. These are the features of today.

NP: Is it sad that children have become different due to modern technology?

BG: Well, what about? Life has become tougher, the information flow has ruined everything, and it is becoming more and more difficult to retain attention, especially of the younger generation. From my point of view, "Anna Karenina" is already dead, because in our time it is impossible to perceive 72 heroes at once. It's bad, it's sad, but that's how life is. Nowadays young people read books less and less because there are many other sources of information. In my childhood there were books, radio or filmstrips, televisions were just appearing.

Endless "Jumble",

year 2009

Director: Georgy Ananov.

Cast: Boris Grachevsky, Efim Shifrin, Leonid Yarmolnik, Klara Novikova.

The main character of this documentary is a man who has directed more than 700 episodes of Yeralash and raised several generations of movie stars. They all call him "kinoopa", "Uncle Borya Yeralash". For more than 30 years he has been the main leader, inspirer and mascot of a famous newsreel.

NP: And because of all modern innovations, the depth of perception is lost …

BG: I agree, it is lost. A smart movie can only be on TV, it will not be watched in cinemas. When the right hand is with a beer, and the left is on a friend's lap, then it’s definitely not up to a smart movie. Have you heard young people retelling modern films: "there are pirates, there is such action" and so on? Today, action is not only in films but also in books.

NP: It turns out that there was one generation of children who grew up on Yeralash, and now the generation that looks at Conchita Wurst?

BG: Fortunately, the children still watch Yeralash. But today they are drinking a terrible cocktail of terrible combinations. In modern life, just like in Chinese cuisine, different tastes are mixed - sour, sweet, salty. I understand that this is the reality and we are powerless.

NP: How do you feel about psychology? How do you use it in life?

BG: When I read Carnegie's most popular book many years ago, I exclaimed: “Is that all? I know that! " I perfectly understand how to talk to everyone. And willingly or unwillingly, of course, I use all the psychological tricks and techniques when I work with people, I have a large team. There are about ten directors in it, and each with its own "cockroaches", for each you need to find a special approach. And everything must be done carefully, you cannot “break” the director’s talent, but you also must not be careful not to sit on your head - well, just like with children!

NP: Do you believe in fate, a higher purpose?

BG: I never ask God for anything. I'm ashamed, but I can't do it. As in the joke: “One is standing at the wailing wall, asking for peace, financial well-being and so on. They ask him: "What are you doing for this and how long ago?" He answers: "I've been praying for half a century." - "What do you feel?" “Ah, I feel like I’m talking to the wall!” “I don’t believe in destiny and create my own destiny, at least I try. I'm not a fatalist, but everything happens in life.

NP: What are you afraid of?

BG: I was afraid to make a movie, because I knew that there are people who do it better than me. But I started filming, and the fear was gone, because I do it for the audience, and they like my films. It's worth making a movie for this.

expert opinion

Breaking stereotypes

Boris Grachevsky briefly revealed the main psychological recipe for his cinematic work, referring to the well-known wisdom: "Through the mouth of a baby speaks the truth." And this is really the easiest path to the viewer. It seems that the director himself fully has the ability to look at the world through the eyes of a child - this is the secret of his success. Translated into the language of psychotherapy, this means waking up the "inner child" in the viewer, returning him to that childish state, which is characterized by immediacy of feelings, and fullness of feelings, and sincere curiosity, and the joy of life. How is this “return to childhood” effect achieved? There is a paradox in the on-screen action, a break in the stereotype that awakens laughter and has a truly hypnotic effect. That is why such a "children's" movie is remembered,becomes an anchor of vivid emotional states.

Mark Sandomirsky,

psychotherapist, Ph. D.