On October 4, 2021, the KARO 11 "October" cinema center hosted the premiere of the feature film "Quarantine" (Russian: КАРАнтин, romanized: KARAntin) directed by Diana Ringo. The leading role was played by the famous theater and cinema actor, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation Anatoly Bely. The film crew presented the film and answered questions. The event was organized by KARO.Art. Diana Ringo is not only a director and screenwriter of the film - she is also a composer, editor, producer and performer of one of the main roles of the film.
The film "Quarantine" was received with great interest. Among the audience were many famous cinema and theater figures, including Wolfgang Czerny, Yana Krainova, Radda Novikova, Nadya Gorshkova, Grigory Danziger.
The main character lives in a bunker. He survives a global catastrophe and is trying to write a diary, trying to rethink what happened. Is his imprisonment a punishment for his sins and for the sins of mankind, that has succumbed to evil, which has taken over the whole world?
The images of Anatoly Bely (he plays Felix in the film) in a bunker with soft dim lighting remind of Rembrandt's paintings and contrasts with the magic of nature he recalls. The cinematography is complemented by brilliant musical accompaniment. Diana Ringo, a virtuoso pianist and composer, wrote all the music for the film herself. At the film presentation she said that she was inspired by classical music, the work of Ennio Morricone and soundtracks from the 1980s. Artist Alexander Obmanov impressively played the role of Kirill, Felix's friend. There are many sharp and memorable lines in the film.
Many viewers expressed admiration for director Diana for her courage, as her film posed questions that other cultural figures tend to ignore. Almost two years have passed since the restrictions on freedoms were announced, and life in all countries has changed dramatically. However, not a single film was made during this time that would address these issues. The film "Quarantine" examines the problem of the transition to totalitarianism from a philosophical angle, through it passes the idea that if people weakly submit to evil and do not resist the restrictions of their inalienable rights, they will be destroyed or live in hell.
The film was the result of serious reflections on the surrounding reality and free creative imagination. During the meeting, Diana said that the idea arose in 2020 when lockdown was announced while she was living in Vienna, Austria. If people remain silent and take a compromise position with evil, then it is very likely that the future in the bunker will be considered a great success, and the world will be completely destroyed. The name Felix refers to the word "happiness" - but can a person be considered happy, who survived disaster but remains alone for decades ? Diana said that it was interesting for her to think about a person who is in total isolation, about his feeling of hopelessness, who is gradually losing his mind. In essence, the film is about the choice between good and evil, about the choice that each of us has to make. And Felix, having made his choice, remains in his dungeon. Does he have any hope of going back to the surface of the earth? And what will it be left of this land?
The film has elements of experimental cinema and is created in an interesting format - there are no clichés and no flirting with the audience. This film is not only a work of cinematography, but also a serious civil act.
The film is a joint production of Finland and Russia, as the film's director and producer Diana Ringo is a Finnish citizen and the film was partially filmed in Finland. "Quarantine" is Diana Ringo's first feature film.
Photo report from the premiere - https://imgur.com/gallery/96ik47f
Video report from the premiere - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvNJHef3cxU