| Sergei Bodrov Jr. | |
|---|---|
Sergei Bodrov Jr. as Danila Bagrov in Brother 2. |
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| Born | Sergei Sergeevich Bodrov December 27, 1971 Moscow, Soviet Union |
| Died | September 20, 2002 (aged 30) North Ossetia-Alania, Russia |
| Years active | 1989–2002 |
| Spouse | Svetlana Mihailova (m. 1997) |
| Children | Olga (b. 1998) Aleksandr (b. 2002) |
| Parents | Sergei Bodrov |
Sergei Bodrov Jr. (Russian: Серге́й Серге́евич Бодро́в; December 27, 1971 – September 20, 2002) was a Russian actor who had lead roles in the movies Brother, Prisoner of the Mountains, The Stringer and Brother 2. He was the son of the Russian playwright, actor, director and producer Sergei Bodrov. He was killed in the Kolka-Karmadon rock ice slide after finishing the second day of shooting of his film The Messenger.[1]
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Sergey Bodrov was born on December 27, 1971 in Moscow. His father is a famous film director, Sergey Bodrov, and his mother Valentina Nikolaevna is a fine art expert. Sergey Bodrov Jr. considered that "childhood is the most important time in life."[2] and what you'll become happens in the first sixteen years".[3] Different publications say that Bodrov wanted to become a garbageman and drive an orange car.[3]
Bodrov wrote "Composition on the topic: eight events which influenced me or how I became a good person" about the years of his youth and events which changed his view of the world.
Sergey Bodrov attended the specialized French language school № 1265. He was the banner-bearer in school.
Bodrov wanted to enter the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography, but his father explained to him that "cinema is a passion and if you don't have it you should wait for it or forget about it".[3] Between 1989 and 1993, Bodrov Jr. studied art history at the History Department of Moscow State University. He graduated with Honors and began postgraduate studies.[3] In his own words, at the university he "learned to see the beauty in simple things around us".[3] While already a famous actor, he completed his graduate thesis entitled "Architecture in the Venetian Renaissance painting" in 1998 and received the Candidate of Science degree, equivalent to Western Ph. D.
From 1991, for three consequtive summers he went to Italy to study art, at the same time working as a lifeguard at local beaches to support his travels all around the country.[4] When he was asked if the education was useful in his life or not, he answered:
Of course. So you come to any city. What do you usually know about it? That there are central square, some shops... And I know there is a painting in one of the museums and you can spend the whole day in front of it. And this one day is added to your life.[5]
Sergey's first role was in his father's movie Freedom is Paradise in 1989. He appeared on screen only for a few minutes, playing a minor lawbreaker waiting for a decision concerning his destiny. During his university days, he also had a bit role of an usher's courier who was bringing mail to the hotel in the movie White King, Red Queen (1992).
In 1995, his father was going to move to Dagestan where his movie Prisoner of the Mountains was to be filmed. Bodrov asked to go with him and was ready to do whatever he could to help. Instead, he became one of the featured actors, playing conscript soldier Vanya Jilin. His partner was Oleg Menshikov, who played contract soldier Alexey Ryapolov. Bodrov got an award for best actor jointly with Menshikov at the Kinotavr cinema festival in Sochi.
Bodrov himself did not claim to be an actor:
I always say everywhere: I'm not an actor, I'm not an actor, I'm not an actor. And I hear: "No, you're an actor". An actor is a quite a different thing. It's a different person, another constitution. A role is not a profession for me. It's an action.[2]
From October 1996 to August 1999, Bodrov was a host of the show View (Vzglyad) on Channel One. He said that he left the show feeling it had given him a good schooling:[3]
I've got acquainted with so many people, I've heard so many stories, I've read so many letters - it's impossible on any other job. It had a very positive impulse. Help two or three people and the telecast exists not in vain. But it's necessary to do it responsibly.[3]
In 1997, Sergey married Svetlana Mihailova (the author of the projects "Sharks of plume" and "Canon"). In 1998, their daughter Olga was born, followed in 2002 by a son, Alexandr.
During a cinema festival in Sochi in 1996, Sergey Bodrov became acquainted with stage manager Aleksei Balabanov, who invited him to studio STV. Just in this studio, the movie Brother was shot and released in 1997. Sergey was a featured actor, playing Danila Bagrov. The mass media criticized the movie. It was accused of fascism and racism and even of Russophobia (as a movie which was made for foreign audiences). Bodrov himself viewed his character in the following way:
I know that Danila is often blamed for being primitive, simple and inarticulate. In part, I agree with that. But I have a metaphor regarding him in my mind: I imagine people in primitive chaos, who sit before the fire in their caves and do not understand anything in their life except for the responsibility to eat and to breed. And suddenly one of them stands up and says very simple words that it is necessary to stand up for their friends, to respect women, to stand up for one's brother.[2]
The music to the movie was composed by the famous Russian rock band Nautilus Pompilius, of which Sergey admitted to being an admirer himself.[6]
Despite some controversy, the movie received critical acclaim and the award at the movie festival in Sochi, a Special Jury Award and the FIPRESCI Award at an international festival in Turin, the awards in Cottbus, and the Grand Prix in Trieste. Bodrov received the award for Best Actor at the movie festivals in Sochi and Chicago and got the "Golden Aries" prize.
The movie was regarded by many as culturally significant and for many of the younger generation, Bodrov's character Danila Bagrov became a hero and a role model.[3]
From 1998 to 1999, Sergey played two roles. The first as Vadim, a wedding photographer in P. Pavlikovsky's movie The Stringer. The second role was in Régis Wargnier's movie East/West. Sergey played Sasha, the neighbour of an unlucky couple, Dr. Golovin and his wife Mary.
In 2000, the movie Brother 2 (Brat 2) was released, with Bodrov playing Danila Bagrov again. Critics attacked the movie as they had its predecessor. It was written that the movie expressed racist ideas and offended the American and the Ukrainian nations.[3] Bodrov responded:
The Americans make movies about the Russians where Schwarzenegger as a policeman tears off gumbah's leg and drugs are hailing from it and bears are walking along the streets. So we're full bananaheads. So why can't we make a joke on the Americans?[7]
That same year, Bodrov moved to California to take part in the shooting of his father's movie The Quicky. Lets Do it Quickly. Sergey played Dima - the security officer of a rich American with the Russian ancestry - Oleg (Mashkov).
In Bodrov's free time during the filming of The Quicky, he was writing a screenplay for his first movie Sisters. His father shared the idea of the movie with him. After that, Bodrov Jr wrote a screenplay and in four days, filming began. At first, the movie was called Bandit's daughter, Belly-dancer and The junor. The heart of the movie is a story of two sisters - Sveta (thirteen years old) and Dina (eight). Sergey had a cameo role because there was no other actor available.[4] The film opened on May 10, 2001. At a festival in Sochi, it received a Grand Prix award "for the best debut" and the young actresses were awarded for "the best actor's duet".
In the autumn of 2001, Bodrov became a host of the game show The Last Hero. Sixteen people landed on an island near the coast of Panama and competed in various trials. The last participant which lasted through all the votes received the main prize of three million rubles. Bodrov conducted the game and commented on it. He gave his understanding of the telecast:
I think that the subject of hunger and physical existence will emerge in front of them very seriously. But the true survival lies in how you're strong inside, how you can keep your humanity in unhuman conditions. And this is also related to me.[8]
The shooting of Balabanov's movie War began in the spring of 2001. Bodrov had a role of short duration (he played captain Medvedev). Opening night was in 2002. The movie got the "Golden Rose" award at the Kinotavr festival and Bodrov received the Nika Award for the best supporting role.
Bear's Kiss directed by his father Sergei Bodrov opened on November 28, 2002. Bodrov played Misha, a bear that mystically transforms into a person. Sergei's love interest in the film is played by Rebecka Liljeberg.
In July 2002, Bodrov settled down to shoot his second film, with the working title The Messenger. He characterized the movie in the following words:
Philosophic-mystical parable about the life of two friends. They are romantics, travellers and venturers. Of course there will be bandits, hostages, in general all that accompany us in life. The movie is called "The Messenger" and I'm like a coffee in a carton in it: the author of a screenplay, stage manager and performer of the leading role.[9]
The film crew arrived in the Caucasus in September. In September, 19 of the scenes in a women's penal colony in Vladikavkaz were shot.
The next morning, the film crew went to Karmadon Gorge, where they intended to film the scenes of the main character's return from the army. At approximately 7 p.m., filming stopped due to poor lighting conditions. Then tragedy struck. According to official reports, a block of ice fell from Djimara Mountain onto the Kolka ice flow, bringing with it mud and large boulders. This mud flow covered Karmadon Ravine, where Sergey Bodrov and his crew were working. A massive search and rescue operation proved fruitless.