(Un)shot
(Un)shot tells us about the history of writers, poets, and playwrights killed by the Stalinist regime and the NKVD. This documentary about the repression initiative reminds us of the names of the victims of that terrible time, when at any moment an enemy of the regime or a random resident could be taken away to be shot. None of them were punished.
Similar mechanisms are still practiced in the totalitarian regimes of the CIS countries today, when the regimes destroy their opponents, destroy public organizations and deprive nations of the right to free expression of thoughts and opinions. We should always know about our past, about such people, and understand that history can repeat itself after some time.
Task
Film a creative story in a modern city with portraits of murdered writers, playwrights, or with some allegorical devices, such as the flight of leaves of their manuscripts, when people felt the proximity of their end at the hands of the NKVD executioners.
⬤ 01. Challenge
Make a documentary about the repressions of 1937, reminding everyone once again.
A documentary about repressions is a very complex topic that requires deep knowledge of the topic. Since during the 90s people who held executive positions in the KGB were not punished, they felt invulnerable. People were afraid of lustrations, so evil was revived again in modern times. To ensure that this never happens again, you need to constantly remind people of this. In order for information to reach more people, you need to come up with creative forms every time. The viewer’s attention now is the money that advertisers are fighting for. This is why it is difficult to promote a non-profit documentary about repression.
A total of 50 people worked on the project, including the film crew. Our cameraman Sasha Aleinikov was entrusted with the difficult task of filming the series in 1937. To do this, it was necessary to select among the proposed locations that would preserve the spirit of that time and try to immerse the viewer in that time with a picture.
Director Artyom Lobach in this project relied on the feeling of people waiting for death, when any creak outside the door can only mean one thing – they have come for you. The script was supposed to create tension of anticipation and a feeling of the last days of life.
⬤ 02. Production and post
Making a documentary about repressions in a totalitarian country is difficult even now.
It is also difficult to make a documentary about repressions in Belarus because of the political crisis inside. People who want to illegally stay in power are trying to hide the truth from people. And since they are doing the same thing that their predecessors did in 1937, this truth about the past has become objectionable even now. It is also difficult to make a documentary about the repressions because there are almost no witnesses to those events. Living witnesses are unlikely to give interviews, and even if they wanted to, they would hardly be able to due to health reasons. If you want to make a documentary, check out the Instagram of our production company YOPRST.
It was very difficult for a video production company to promote such a project in a country that does not want to admit historical mistakes, when it would be easier to erase them and tighten the screws so that no one would remind them of the truth. This is what attracts people.
The video, which was shot by Alex Aleinikov, is a promo for the project (Un)shot, which is a printed publication, a music CD application, and a series of lectures in Minsk and in the regions.
| Brown #352a24 | SCSS brown | ◯ |
| R 53 G 42 B 36 |
Kurapaty land
| Beige #5b4a41 | SCSS beige | ◯ |
| R 91 G 74 B 65 |
Soft beige
| Green #525443 | SCSS green | ◯ |
| R 82 G 84 B 67 |
Withered greenery
| Filthy #252420 | SCSS dark | ◯ |
| R 37 G 36 B 32 |
Soviet walls
In this video, the idea was to make the picture as soft as possible, as if in fog. This would correspond to the time when optics were not yet so sharp and the film was of very poor quality. Additionally, filters were applied to the top of the digital image, grain and a dechanter were used to generate a film effect.
The moodboard contained only muted blue, gray, green tones, and in the warm spectrum – orange and brown. All the tools produced the grim 1937 bow.
⬤ 03. Equipment
The documentary about the repressions was shot with a good camera and expensive optics.
A documentary about repressions is usually shot with average equipment, unless it is filmed with a hidden camera. In this case, the camera is usually miniature, and the quality of shooting is the last thing we think about. To obtain material, videographers can use any means, because a documentary about repression is not watched because of the beautiful picture. The theme of the film is important for society as a whole, and if the film turns out well, then it will work for the viewer, regardless of the quality of the picture. Netflix can shoot with expensive studio equipment, but in this segment they are also reducing the requirements for cameras.
Filming
equipment
/ 00 – 1
Cameras.
RED Epic Dragon 6K
⟶
/ 00 – 2
Lenses.
ARRI Master Prime 25, 40mm F1.3
⟶
/ 00 – 3
Monitors, recorders.
TVLogic LVM-181S, TVLogic F-5A, SmallHD AC7
⟶
Lighting
equipment
/ 00 – 4
Halogen fixtures.
ARRI M18, Dedolight DLH4
⟶
/ 00 – 5
LED fixtures.
Astera Titan Tube
⟶
Sound recording
equipment
/ 00 – 6
Recorders.
–
⟶
/ 00 – 7
Microphones.
–
⟶
Rig, stubs, copters
and action cameras
/ 00 – 8
Stabilizers.
EasyRig Sirena, DJI Ronin M
⟶
/ 00 – 9
Copters.
–
⟶
The dream Team
Direction
— Artyom Lobach
director
— Alex Aleinikov
DOP
Camera dept.
— Yuri Soiko
2AC /
camera mechanic
— Misha Krantovsky
dolly
mechanic
— Andrey Pavlovich
gaffer
Management
— Kristina Doropei
1AD /
2AD
— Sergey Budkin
coordinator &
author of the project
— Alexey Strelnikov
line producer &
site director
Costumes and makeup
— Yulia Pyakina
costumes
— Nastya Shestak
graphic
design
Music
— Olga Podgaiskaya
composer
Actors
— Pavel Kharlanchuk
playwriter
— Alena Giranok
poetess
— Andrey Savchenko
writer
Festivals and awards
Notyetreceived
Oct 20, 2020
Butwereallywant
Sep 25, 2020
Atleastone
Sep 23, 2020
Next Project