"Yura Was Here": A Review of Khabensky's New Film

Contents:

• What is this movie about?
• What's so captivating about this movie?
• Who is really responsible for "Yura"?
• The Verdict.

The third Mayak contemporary Russian film festival concluded on October 9. The Grand Prix was awarded to Sergei Malkin's dramedy, based on a true story: a group of frivolous millennial musicians find themselves in a situation where they must care for an adult man with mental disabilities. Film critic Timur Aliyev shares his opinion on why the film "Yura Was Here," which will be released in theaters on February 5, has every chance of becoming an audience favorite.

What is this film about?

Oleg and Sergei, better known as Denis Paramonov and Kuzma Kotrelev, are on the threshold of thirty. Their lives revolve around music, and they don't worry too much about other aspects. When they're not rehearsing or working odd jobs, the guys live in a communal apartment where they sleep on mattresses, don't bother cleaning their rooms, and eat whatever comes to hand. Andrey, played by Vasily Mikhailov, also lives in the same communal apartment. He's more meticulous and doesn't tolerate noise or unwanted visits to his room. Oleg and Sergey's musical journey develops slowly and gradually. They earn a living through occasional gigs in clubs and bars, create their own videos on the roof of their building, and dream of reaching a wider audience. Then one day, luck smiles on them: their band, which also includes drummer Cheba, played by Alexander Porshin, unexpectedly receives an invitation to perform at the Igla music festival.

Unfortunately, the guys are not destined to realize their ideas in the field of home-made punk rock. Oleg's father ended up in solitary confinement for ten days after yet another drunken brawl, and now someone needs to take care of his Uncle Yura. Uncle Yura, who is already over fifty, has some mental quirks (played by a greatly changed Konstantin Khabensky). Young musicians decide to look after their uncle together, not realizing the difficulties that await them ahead.

What's so captivating about this film

"Yura Was Here" is a frank and brutal exploration of human nature. Its main value lies in its sincerity—rarely has a film so vividly illustrated the transformation of youthful frivolity into sincere and true humanism, free from external influences.

Sergei Malkin carefully avoids clichés. On screen, not a single character is transformed into a virtuous and noble person as soon as they are confronted with human suffering. At the beginning of the story, the heroes are even sure that only Oleg should take care of Yura: “He’s your uncle, not mine.” However, over time, they form a team, caring for each other and overcoming life's difficulties, finding solutions in seemingly hopeless circumstances.

How to properly follow Yura? What should I do if he starts knocking loudly on the door? How can I provide him with food? How can I help him with hygiene? Just recently, aspiring musicians never dreamed they would have to find solutions to such problems. But today, they face a reality that forcefully knocks down the door behind which they hid their carelessness, frivolity, selfishness, and youthful infantilism. Behind the outward absurdity, which inevitably manifests itself in comical situations, lies a serious problem, which the film loudly addresses. Society is still not ready to accept people with disabilities. Using the example of young characters, the film clearly shows how their awkwardness and misunderstanding gradually transform into sincere affection and selflessness. At the same time, Yura is not a savior angel, but appears to the audience as a vulnerable and helpless person whose needs and quirks surprise those around him.

The cast in this project is truly impressive. Denis Paramonov and Kuzma Kotrelev's interactions are light and natural. Their on-screen friendship creates the feeling of watching old friends who have known each other since early childhood. Konstantin Khabensky brilliantly embodied the character of Yura, without uttering a word, relying solely on facial expressions, glances, and subtle head movements. During the question and answer session after the premiere at the Mayak, director Andrei Smirnov admitted that he barely recognized the actor in this role.

One of the striking aspects of the film is the carefully selected A soundtrack that perfectly conveys the emotional state of the characters at different stages of their lives. The musical compositions on screen—from the Bryansk band Kick Chill and Mikhail Krug to the Tver rockers Pioneer Camp Dusty Rainbow—become another form of self-expression for thirty-year-olds. Oleg, Sergey, and Cheba represent a generation that strives to find its voice in a world where it seems everything has already been said, and therefore opening their mouths seems pointless. But can a trio of garage rockers remain silent?

Responsibility for "Yura": who really is it?

The plot of this film is based on real events—the story that formed the basis of the film happened to the author himself and inspired him to create a work of art. This method has become increasingly common in Russian cinema in recent years: young directors, drawing inspiration from personal experience, strive to create heartfelt stories rather than following commercial trends.

Alexander Khant's first film, "How Vitka Chesnok Took Lyokha Shtyr to a Nursing Home," draws inspiration from the director's personal experience growing up in Tyumen. Natalia Meshchaninova's screenplay for "Hearts of the World" was inspired by her interactions with veterinarians working at a baiting station. Alexander Gorchilin's feature-length film "Acid" depicts Moscow's creative youth in the late 2010s, and the author draws heavily on his own experience in this portrait.

Yuliana Koshkina, co-author of "Yura Was Here," has already established herself through her participation in the creation of other debut films. Specifically, she co-wrote the screenplay for the drama "Three of Us," co-written with Irina Starshenbaum, which marked the debut of Alexandra Sarana, as well as the romantic comedy "Breakfast at Papa's," starring Yuri Kolokolnikov and Katerina Shpitsa—a debut for Maria Kravchenko. Koshkina's style stands out thanks to her mastery of dialogue and her ability to bring out the drama in everyday situations. At the same time, the screenwriters deftly avoid the straightforward moralizing that is so easy to fall into when dealing with topics like inclusivity and tolerance.

The film is produced by Ivan Yakovenko and Sergey Bredyuk of Bosfor Pictures. This young team distinguished itself in 2023, when their film "Take It and Remember," directed by Baibulat Batullin, won the feature debut competition at the Koroche festival. The following year, in 2024, at the same festival, Yakovenko met Sergei Malkin, whose short film "The Last Film About Love" won the award for best screenplay. During this meeting, Malkin shared a touching story from his life, which later served as the basis for the script for his new project, "Yura Was Here."

Verdict

"Yura Was Here" is a touching and engaging film that intertwines familiar characters and meaningful themes. In a nearly weightless setting, the film explores such important themes as responsibility, sadness, discontent, love, and hope. This film masterfully captures the inner struggles of Moscow youth experiencing a situation of "no prospects." In this space, true kindness arises not from the desire to do good, but in the process of fighting selfishness.

Sergei Malkin's full-length work becomes a unique work about simple, imperfect characters. This is another example of young filmmakers boldly sharing their personal experiences, not trying to please anyone, but telling stories that matter most to them. Therein lies their main strength.

These materials also discuss other fascinating aspects of the current festival season.

• Nuclear tests, an atmosphere hovering over Moscow, and illegal trade at the "New Season" event.
• With bright and memorable names: fresh names at the "Koroche" festival.
• At the "Mirror" festival, the destinies of gods, authoritarian rulers, and creative poets intersect.
• The Moscow skyline, strewn with high-rise buildings, and the surfing waves of Kamchatka come together at the Russian documentary film festival Beat Film Festival.
• Incredible situations, dacha stories, and mysterious spirits of Bashkortostan: a new generation of cinema at the "New Movement" festival.