Soul (1981)

Dusha (Russian: Душа, English translation: Soul) is a 1981 Soviet musical drama film written by Alexander Borodyansky and directed by Alexander Stefanovich, starring Sofia Rotaru and Mikhail Boyarsky. The movie features songs performed by Sofia Rotaru, Mikhail Boyarsky and the Russian rock band Mashina Vremeni (Time Machine). The movie has substantial philosophical dialogue about the self-criticism of an artist and the existential approach to the golden mean between artistic creation and respect for human dignity.

The movie featured a musical video, with Rotaru and Boyarsky jumping on a trampoline in gold stretch fabric. Stefanovich claimed it was watched by more than 57 million cinema-goers in the Soviet Union, while the KinoExpert.ru site lists 33.3 million.

During production of the film, Rotaru's son was threatened to be taken hostage and was hidden in a villa in the Crimea. The scenario and the role of Viktoria Slobodina were specially written for Rotaru. The main plot in the movie deals with the singer's health problems (inflammation of the vocal cords), and Rotaru had similar health issues.

The story is set by the sea at Rotaru's house in Yalta and in Germany (where Rotaru at that time recorded many of her albums), as well as at international song festivals, where Rotaru participated as well. Initially, producer and director Stefanovich cast his wife Alla Pugacheva to star in the film. After their relationship breakup, he invited Rotaru.




^ Filimonov, Mikhail (2004). "Искусство жить по Стефановичу". Express gazeta (in Russian) № 50. Retrieved 2008-12-27.

^ Dusha KinoExpert.ru

^ Sofia Rotaru, Alexandr Stefanovich (January year
2008title = Sofia Rotaru: Secrets of Her Success). (in Russian). INTER http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOWd5DZitHo. Retrieved 2008-05-01.

^ Sadchikov, Mikhail (2006-12-28). "Mikhail Boyarsky: "I am reading "Bulba" - and I am crying!"". Trud (in Russian). Retrieved 2008-05-05. "Сначала на роль пробовалась Пугачева, но потом режиссер картины Александр Стефанович, тогдашний муж Аллы, с ней рассорился. (Initially Pugacheva was auditioned, but afterwards Alexander Stefanovich the director of the movie and Alla's husband at the time, broke up with her.)"

^ Sofia Rotaru, Alexandr Stefanovich (January year
2008title = Sofia Rotaru: Secrets of Her Success). (in Russian). INTER http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvYyyGpCq3s. Retrieved 2008-05-01.

Synopsis

Viktoria Svobodina is a young but already well known popular singer in the Soviet Union, living in Moscow. Her popularity reaches the heights whilst the band she is performing with remains in the shadows. At an important live concert the band turns off the sound, but Viktoria keeps singing the song, changing the lyrics to "I will sing till the end". As they leave the concert she stops the car and rips posters of herself off the walls of the concert hall and leaves the band for a solo career.

Actors