Russian film ‘Hoffman’s Fairy Tales’ competes for Golden Peacock at 54th IFFI

Goa:24/11/23: Hoffman’s Fairy Tales, a Russian film, Directed and scripted by Tina Barkalaya, depicts the life of a girl Nadezhda, during the turbulent times in Russia following the disintegration of Soviet Union. The film is competing for the prestigious Golden Peacock award at the 54^th International Film Festival of India being held in Goa.

Sharing with media, the incident of a brutal attack inflicted upon Margarita Gracheva – a Russian woman whose both hands got cut off by her abusing husband – Tina Barkalaya pointed out that even in the 21^st century, domestic violence is prevalent in every country, be it India, Georgia or Russia. “I wanted this story to be a fairy tale and fairy tales always have happy endings”, she said. Throwing light on the idea and objective of the film, Tina Barkalaya said that in a world riddled with domestic violence, her film tries to bring back hope. “Name of the protagonist in this film is Nadezhda and it is no coincidence that the word means ‘hope’ in Russian language. In the film, the protagonist a librarian is always putting a bookmark on every book she gives to the customers, and the title of the bookmark also reads- bring back hope”, she added.

Speaking on her transition to a feature film Director, Tina Barkalaya said that her experience in short films and musical videos taught her how to work quickly and effectively in the production of a feature film. “Visual aspect is very important for me. My stint with advertising also helped me. I believe cinema is like embroidery”, she said. Though music and background score are important in cinemas, sometimes silence can be even more effective, she added.

Synopsis:

Set in the early 2000s, as the Soviet era fades into a Westernised parody, the film follows Nadezhda, a timid woman trapped in a marriage with Vitaly, exploiting her for an apartment. Nadezhda, working two jobs, transforms when a coat’s owner recognizes her beautiful, expressive hands. She emerges as a sought-after hand model, reshaping her life dramatically.

Watch the interaction here: