THE MAN WHO SURPRISED EVERYONE

 

Egor is a fearless state forest guard in the Siberian Taiga.  He is a good family man, respected by his fellow villagers. He and his wife Natalia are expecting a second child.  But one day Egor finds out that he has cancer and only two months left to live.  No traditional medicine or shamanic magic can save him.  Finally, left with no other options, he takes a desperate attempt to trick death. Egor chooses to take the identity of a woman as a way of fighting the disease. His family and the local society now have to accept his new self.

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Russia, Estonia, France

2018

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Written and directed by Natasha Merkulova & Aleksey Chupov

DOP Mart Taniel (Estonia)

Production Designer Sergey Avstrievskikh

Costumes Anna Bartuli

Make-up artist Tatyana Kolomyitseva

Editor Vadim Crasnitsky

Producer Katia FIlippova (Pan-Atlantic Studio, Russia)

Co-producers Guillaume de Seille (Arizona Productions, France), Katrin Kissa (Homeless Bob Productions, Estonia), Alexander Rodnyanskiy (Non-Stop Production, Russia)

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Cast: 

Evgeniy Tsyganov – Egor 

Natalya Kudryashova – Natalia 

Yuriy Kuznetsov – Grandfather 

Vasiliy Popov – Artem 

Pavel Maykov – Zakhar 

Aleksey Filimonov – Stepka 

Elena Voronchikhina – Shaman Woman 

Maksim Vitorgan – Professor

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Festivals and Awards:

 

2018

• Venice IFF, Italy - Orizzonti Section - Best Actress Award – Natalya Kudryashova

• El Gouna IFF, Egypt - Special Jury Prize 

• Pingyao Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon IFF, China - Crouching Tiger Audience Award 

• Honfleur Cinema de Russe Festival, France - Grand Prix, Best Actor – Evgeniy Tsyganov, Best Actress - Natalya Kudryashova

• Bordeaux Independent IFF, France - Prix Erasmus+ , Grand Jury Special Mention

2019

• Zinegoak International LGBT Film Festival, Bilbao, Spain – Grand Prix, Best Secondary Role - Natalya Kudryashova

• Luxembourg City International Festival, Luxembourg - Jury Special Mention

• OUTshine LGBT Film Festival, Miami, USA - Jury Special Mention 

• Crossing Europe Film Festival, Linz, Austria - Crossing Europe Award for Best Fiction Film 

• International Film Festival Al Este de Lima, Peru - Jury Award for Best Fiction Film 

• International Film Festival of Uruguay, Montevideo - Best Direction Award 

• Five Lakes Film Festival, Starnberg, Germany - Perspective Young Cinema Award 

• Raindance Film Festival, London, UK - Best Performance -  Evgeniy Tsyganov

• Kinenova International Film Festival, Skopje, North Macedonia - Best Screenplay 

• Al Este Argentina Film Festival, Buenos Aires, Argentina - Jury Prize 

• Russian Film Academy NIKA Award – Best Male Role – Evgeniy Tsyganov, Best Supporting Role – Yuri Kuznetsov

• White Elephant Russian Guild of Film Critics – Best Male Role – Evgeniy Tsyganov

• East-West. Golden Arch International Movie Award – Best Male Role – Evgeniy Tsyganov, Best Female Role – Natalya Kudryashova, Best Screenplay – Natasha Merkulova and Aleksey Chupov

• Lux Film Prize, 2019 – Best Feature Film short list

• Kinonews-2019 Award – Best Russian Actor – Evgeniy Tsyganov

• “Male Role” Film Festival, Penza, Russia – Best Actor – Evgeniy Tsyganov 

• Cultural Endowment of Estonia Award – Camera Operator of The Year – Mart Taniel

• Russian Film Clubs Federation Award – Best Film-2018