Art FIFA 2013: Bolchoï, une renaissance

Bolchoï, une renaissance

France | 2011 | colour, b&w | 55 min | French, Russian, French subtitles

PRODUCTION TEAM

Director: Denis Sneguirev 
Screenplay: Denis Sneguirev 
Cinematography: Dmitri Rakov 
Sound: Christophe De Pinho, Maxim Tchetchkenev, Vladimir Stekachev 
Editing: Fabien Leroy 
Music: Christophe De Pinho, Andres Soto 
Narration: Guillaume Galienne 
Participation: Anatolly Iksanov, Nikita Changuine, Pavel Batov, Sergeui Lemechev, Dmitry Tcherniakov, Gérard Mortier, Tatiana Monogarova, Ürgen Reihhold, Lilian Hochhauser 
Producer(s): Emelie De Jong, François Duplat 
Production: ARTE France/Bel Air Média 
Distribution: ARTE France

Official description of the film:

Opera house, high temple of ballet and concert hall, the legendary Bolshoi theatre is the very symbol of classical Russian culture. But, in 2005, a victim of the ravages of time, unsanitary and dangerous, the Bolshoi was a ghost of its former glory, its facades stained, foundations cracked, walls sagging and gilding tarnished. For six years, architects, engineers and workers laboured on a gigantic overhaul, dubbed by the Russian media as the “project of the century.” Combining 3D images, animation, interviews and archives, the film brings the Bolshoi to life, from its origins to the present day, and shows that the challenges in its restoration are architectural, artistic, sentimental and patriotic. A former showcase for the Soviet Union known for its conservative approach, the Bolshoi has also updated its repertoire with the addition of contemporary productions. 

This film is a superb documentation of all the tremendous work required to preserve the Bolshoi Theatre. The building was in such a bad shape that it had actually split into 7 separate structures through deep cracked in the masonry walls and the foundation. The original theatre was build between 1821 and 1824. It was damaged by fire in 1953 and underwent a reconstruction by and Italian architect Alberto Cavos who, apparently, to speed the reconstruction process, neglected to pay closer attention to the stability of the theatre's foundations. This caused the building to begin to crack through the ensuing decades, to the point where it became dangerous to use since it became structurally unstable.

The film shows minutely all the stages of the reconstruction process, how the theatre was supported on metal pylons, and how seven sections of the theatre that had separated from each other had to be held together throughout the laying of new foundation. Moreover, not only was the foundation reinforced,  but actually several new theatrical spaces were constructed under the original Bolshoi building. 

The main Bolshoi theatre was renovated to its old royal splendour, paying special attention to all the decorative elements such as covering with gold leaves all that was decorated with gold in the past. Yet the entirely modern technology and equipment was brought in, mainly for the scenic and decoration changing purposes. In addition, a special attention was paid to acquiring the superb acoustics, where the acoustic elements could be changed according to the performance's needs. For example, the presentation of the ballet requires very different stage acoustics as opposed to an opera or a symphony orchestra performances.

This film is a must see for all those who love old style theatres. The film shows how such theatres can be preserved, and how they can acquire modern technical infrastructure.

Photo above by Denis Sneugirev, courtesy of FIFA.