Russian director Kantemir Balagov made a big splash in the film scene with his 2019 film Beanpole. The WWII-era drama secured several nominations and entries into competitions and film festivals, including Cannes.
The New York Times calls Beanpole a “gut punch”, and “a brilliantly told, deeply moving story about love — in all its manifestations.”
Through Beanpole, alongside his earlier hit film Closeness, Balagov has launched the Russian film scene into the international spotlight.
Kantemir Balagov on the Path to World Fame
Prior to the success of Beanpole, Balagov had begun rising in the world of film with his movie Closeness, based on the director’s own hometown of Nalchik in North Caucasus. The film resonated around the world for opening a door to the harsh reality of Kantemir’s Nalchik in the ‘90s.
Only 26 years old when he directed Closeness, Balagov was lauded for his fresh, personal, and authentic artistic choices. He gained great fame after Closeness received the FIPRESCI Prize in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes in 2017.
Following the success of his first major film, Balagov, a young, rising, and highly ambitious director, undertook a new project: Beanpole. Like its predecessor, Beanpole earned high praise for its unflinching portrayal of harsh realities, this time in Leningrad in 1945.
Also like Closeness, Beanpole earned acclaim at its Cannes debut, winning both the FIPRESCI Prize and Best Director in the Un Certain Regard section. With independent directors like Balagov and Mati Diop, success at Cannes can rocket a filmmaker to success.
From Kabardino-Balkaria to Hollywood
Balagov was born in Nalchik, the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria, in 1991. Growing up, he did not really even consider filmmaking as a career path. In fact, after much uncertainty, Balagov ultimately agreed to follow his father’s wishes and go to school for economics.
However, during his studies he began making small movies and documentaries. This sparked a love that would soon launch him to fame. Though pressures from his conservative Muslim family influenced his early decisions and work, and found ways to incorporate them into his art to great acclaim.
Balagov now lives closer to the Hollywood hills than the peaks of Kabardino-Balkaria, where he was born and raised. Nevertheless, he has not entirely embraced his celebrity status.
“I would very much like to appear in public once a year,” he told GQ. “In this regard, my role model is reclusive Terrence Malick. But at the same time, I understand that I need to communicate with the audience and get feedback from them. This is extremely important for the director.” [Translated]
Kantemir Balagov Strives for Authenticity
In Closeness, Balagov drew on his upbringing in Nalchik to create an authentic experience for his audiences. With Beanpole, he had less autobiographical material to work with.
However, Balagov navigates the personally unexperienced terrain of war-torn Leningrad by focusing his directorial gaze not on the politics or battles, but on the people. In particular, on Masha and the titular Beanpole, as they navigate the ruins of their lives in the wake of the siege.
“I was interested in researching this post-war trauma,” Balagov explains. “The role of women in war – I have always had a superficial idea of war. When I started to study this topic, it excited me. I was interested in how a person who is, by biology, supposed to give life can return after four or five years from a place where he or she is surrounded by death.”
Watch Beanpole online here.
