The stars produce a new film. At that, nowhere else than in our Tver, and not some low-budget boring movie, but vice versa, a cult one.

This film was much spoken about long before the work on it started, and it will be spoken about even more after its premiere. "The State Councilor" is certainly an event for the Russian cinema world, because the author of the novel with the same name, Boris Akunin, is one of the most popular modern writers; his character Erast Petrovich Fandorin is the hero of our days; Oleg Menshikov, who plays the part of "the special assignments official", is the first rate star, and the producer of the film and the actor for another leading part is Nikita Mikhalkov. But it is unnecessary to speak much about his fame and authority.

From Mikhalkov to Yankovsky

Tver welcomed the capital's cinema men with the weather precisely fitting that described by Boris Akunin, or Grigory Chkhartishvily (the writer's real name), in his novel. Fandorin, as it was supposed, walked along the alley covered with crispy snow, and the sleigh with Julie and Green rushed throw the snowstorm to meet its destiny. But it was later, and on the first day.
The set was visited by the Chairman of the Union of Russian Cinematographers, the almighty guru of the national film industry Nikita Mikhalkov. At first, when Nikita Sergeevich's "Three T" Studios bought the rights for the screen version of "The State Councilor" (the rights for screening of other Akunin's novels were bought by Paul Verhoeven), it was planned that Mikhalkov would direct the film himself. But later in the press there appeared a new version, according to which the director of "The State Councilor" would be Oleg Menshikov, thus making his film directing debut. And finally, last spring it was decided to charge Filipp Yankovsky with this crucial job.
It was rumored that the author of the novel, Grigory Chkhartishvily, took a pause to make his decision about entrusting the screenplay to a young director, who had shot just one film so far, "In Motion". But after all, Akunin approved Yankovsky Jr., as well as the cast.
Fandorin is performed by Oleg Menshikov; his opponent, scoundrel and traitor Duke Pozharsky – by Nikita Mikhalkov; the detective's beloved Esther Litvinova - by Oksana Akinshina. The part of terrorist Green went to the favorite Filipp Yankovsky's actor Konstantin Khabensky, the director's wife Oksana Fandera will act as Green's sister-in-arms Needle, and Maria Mironova will appear as a Frenchwoman Julie. Besides, the cast lists Oleg Tabakov, Fedor Bondarchuk and Vladimir Mashkov. The film is to be shot for 80 days. The work started a couple of weeks ago in the "Mosfilm" pavilions. Later, the scenes at the Belorussky Railway Station were shot, and last Friday the crew moved to Tver.

Tverians vs. cinema men

The Stepan Razin Embankment returned to the 19th century for a few days. Modern street lights were changed for the old ones, between the houses there appeared pedestals with playbills, dated 1891 (the time when the events of the novel take place), and the buildings were decorated with signs of the past century. On Sunday the traffic along the embankment was forbidden both to cars and foot-passengers. In fact, most of the citizens had no intention to pass by the cinema men: instead they searched for convenient spots around the set to watch their favorite actors. On Sunday, on the set there were Oleg Mehshikov, Konstantin Khabensky and Maria Mironova.
However some of the Tverians spitted at the stars and tried to permeate through the cordoning despite all. "We need to get home!" the pedestrians were outraged. "We have to pass here!" Journalists conflicted with the cinema men too. It was forbidden for press photographers and camera-men to shot the working process, and they couldn't agree to that. "This is our town, not yours!", the representatives of the Tver mass media proudly declared to the Moscow "invaders", and to frighten them, the journalists threatened to write "ALL the truth" about the shooting. For some reason the cinema men weren't scared and continued their work. By the way, besides celebrities the shooting engaged common Tver residents. Those, who were selected on Friday for participation in mass scenes.
Dressed in the 19th century's costumes, Tverians walked along the embankment, took pictures of each other, friends and relatives. But the most cherished dream of every one was a picture and an autograph of great colleagues. In the intervals between the takes they besieged Oleg Menshikov, who was surprisingly approachable for the mere mortals. Unlike Masha Mironova and Konstantin Khabensky. Maybe because of the developing "star disease", or due to some other reasons the rising stars behaved much more arrogantly, than the actual film and theatre star Oleg Menshikov .
However, after the shooting "cop Plakhov" * confessed that he believes it is a bad omen to be photographed with admirers while shooting. When the last take was shot he condescended to the public and gave a couple of autographs to the most insistent. Maria Mironova also signed some admirers' notebooks, but to the requests to take photos with her she responded phlegmatically: "Later, maybe?" We hope that the cause was not personal qualities of the actors, but the frost.

Five minutes on the screen = a day on the frost

During the whole day, from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m. the cinema men were shooting one scene. Fandorin-Menshikov, dressed as a coachman, rides Julie to meet Green-Khabensky, who jumps into the carriage on the move. According to the script, it is a snowstorm, but actually it was not even windy, so they had to create the act of God with the help of "wind-blower".
At the same time ladies and gentlemen were walking along the embankment – a mass scene. By 3 p.m., when the scene was repeated for another time, young ladies in thin mantelets looked like snow maidens. One of them experienced confusion because of the strong artificial wind: at the very important moment she lost her hat. Having broken into tears, she rushed to search for a costumier. But the assistant director comforted the girl and said that it looked "very lively". Later, the fate to loose her hat befell on Masha Mironova. After this unlucky take the frozen actress was offered not only the hat, but a second pair of woolen socks to save her from definitive icing. And Menshikov occasionally was wearing a modern sport jacket over a thin coat of the before last century.
From time to time, the actors and the crew warmed up with tea or coffee, and then returned to their work. There were no big intervals between the takes: daylight hours are short in winter, and they had to shoot quite a lot. Besides, nobody could guarantee that it wouldn't thaw the next day, and Filipp Yankovsky was worried if the crew would manage to do everything that had been planned. The director was nervous and personally asked the idlers to keep distant from the camera, "wind-blower", horses and actors.
The first to leave the set in a dark violet jeep was Oleg Menshikov. He was farewelled by the words of gratitude from the whole crew. The actor has done his work perfectly as always. Later a black "Volga" drove away Maria Mironova and Konstantin Khabensky…

The artists had no rubles to pay in a restaurant

Some time later, without makeup and in common clothes, they met at a table in the restaurant of the "Osnabrueck" hotel. Each ordered a dinner, and the discussion of the passed day began, as well as of the other "star" matters and problems. At dinner the cinema men nicely debated that Filipp Yankovsky was sure to win a "Golden Aries" for "The State Councilor". "While it's not too late, I will ask you for an autograph", Masha said, so that every one in the restaurant could hear, and laughed loudly, appreciating her own wit. But it was not the end of the stars' mutual admiring. Tired of work and cold, Khabensky didn't think it hard to go up to his room and bring Masha a film, in which he acted, as a present.
Then, the actors, again without hiding it from other visitors, started to loudly greet Konstantin with his passed birthday.
Despite the fact that such well-known guests visit the hotel restaurant not too often, the waitresses didn't show some special attention to the celebrities, but treated them as usual visitors. Menshikov and Khabensky even had to call the service with the help of clients sitting at the bar. The star dinner wasn't remarkable for some special delicacy, so the talks about their dainty are an exaggeration.
When it was time to pay the bills, it turned out that none of the celebrities had rubles. And since dollar payments are not allowed in the Tver restaurants, the actors had to invent different tricks to exchange bucks for the native currency.
Today, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow and so on till the end of this April the cinema men will work on Akunin at day and have rest from him at night. In the end of the year, if everything goes right, the film will be released. A bit later it will be broadcasted on Channel One, and the Tverians, who took part in mass scenes and episodes, can proudly tell their folks: "I acted in this film too".

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* Konstantin Khabensky's character in the popular detective series.