Premier of the film THE MAJOR by Yury Bykov will take place in Cannes

14 May 2013 - 11:25

The Official premiere of the film THE MAJOR, directed by Yury Bykov that It takes part in Critics’ Week competition 66th Cannes Internationla Film Festival will be held on May 22, at 11:30am at Espace Miramar.

The Major is the second feature by Yury Bykov (after Live!, 2010). It's a story of Sergey Sobolev, a police officer, who on his way to the hospital where his wife is about to give birth to their child, runs a boy down at a crosswalk. The boy dies, and now the major has only two options: go to prison or conceal his crime and stay free.
Sobolev decides to compromise with his conscience, and finally this choice resulted in many people’s deaths. He, then, changes his mind and tries to make up for his deed, but now he has to oppose the system and it’s already too late...
All the characters in this film have to choose – to cross or not to cross the certain line, when the price for your choice is life... yours and of the ones you love. And the major – well, he’s just an ordinary man...

Starring Denis Shvedov, Irina NizinaIlya, Ilya Isaev, Yury Bykov Producers Alexey Uchitel, Kira Saxaganskaya Script by Yury Bykov Cameraman Kirill Klepalov.

Director’s note:
“Any person’s priority is his inner circle of trust, love and responsibility – his family, friends, relatives. People that hate authorities usually forget that those in power are also humans like them, not monsters or aliens. The problem of the law enforcement institutions system is not a problem of the pravity or viciousness or certain people who, together with uniforms, wear the skin of cynicism and overindulgence. It’s the problem of the society where there’s no civil responsibility for strangers or state as a whole. Whenever there is nepotism, clan system – say, only communal interests of a feudal and even primal structure, - in this system of coordinates there can be no civilized state institutions. Everyone will stand for his family, his friends, himself, and not for the truth and justice.”

Producer’s note:
“The plot of "The Major" touched me with its honesty and ultimatism. It’s a courageous and direct approach to how those in power treat human rights and what the feeling of impunity can do to those who have sworn to protect people. Yuri Bykov makes dense, dramatic social films. He puts his characters in a complex situation of moral choice. Watching them face it is always interesting and sometimes rather painful. This is the power of the film “The Major”.