Text and interview: Anastasia Lelyukh “FRONT ROW FILMED ENTERTAINMENT” CINEMA DISTRIBUTION COMPANY IS POSSIBLE THE ONLY IN THE ARAB EMIRATES, INTRODUCING THE VIEWERS WITH THE MODERN INDEPENDENT FILM. DZHANLUKA CHAKRA, MANAGING DIRECTOR, STILL ON THE DAWN OF ITS CREATION I VERY QUICKLY HAVE DEFICIENCED ALTERNATIVE FILMS IN THE CINEMAS AND SUCCESSFULLY ELIMINATED THE AVAILABLE BREAK. ABOUT HOW AND WHY THE COMPANY HAS BEEN CREATED, ABOUT HIS LOVE FOR A CINEMATOGRAPH AND ABOUT MUCH OTHER OTHERS HE TOLD IN AN INTERVIEW TO THE "RUSSIAN EMIRATES".
Gianluca, please tell us about the advent of Front Row Filmed Entertainment.
The company was created by me in 2003. The reason for her appearance was my exceptional passion for cinema, which arose in my childhood. My father was a film distributor. I remember looking forward to his return home every time from the next film market, which are held as part of film festivals, to see what he got. Later, when I was at university, my father often took me to film festivals so that I could learn the secrets of mastery.
After graduation, I started working for another film distributor. Acquired new films, advertised and distributed them in the region, helped open a representative office in Dubai for him. Then he briefly left for Rome, so that, as it later turned out, he returned to the UAE and opened Front Row Filmed Entertainment here. It is clear that I could not afford the purchase of large blockbusters, so I carefully watched the market. Not a single distributor brought independent films, and I decided to fill this particular niche. It turned out I was absolutely right. My viewers were really "hungry" for such films. My calculation has fully paid off.
It is clear that films and cinema are a passion for you, and not just a business.
Of course, passion. I always loved the movie. This was the main reason that I decided to enter this business, I wanted to share with the audience the opportunity to see new good films. This is what I try to do every day. Do you know the feeling when you can’t wait to share something with your friends? That's it that accompanies me in my work. And friends in this case are the audience.
It all started, of course, rather naively. I really had no serious expectations about this. The fact that film distribution is our family business helped me a lot. From an early age I saw what my parents were doing and was able to learn this business. I can say that we, distributors of independent films, are movie fans with an entrepreneurial spirit.
The world of major film studios is arranged differently. No special skill is required in order to rent large blockbusters such as the Fast & Furious franchise.
But in order to successfully distribute the films “Collection of Rays of Hope” (“Silver Linings Playbook”), “Black Swan” (“Black Swan”), “127 Hours” (“127 Hours”), “My Big Greek Wedding” (“My Big Fat Greek Wedding ”) and“ Blue Valentine ”, you need real mastery of the distributor!
How many films have Front Row Filmed Entertainment brought to the UAE since its inception?
Since 2003, we have created a movie library consisting of more than 800 films!
What are the company's plans for 2013-2014?
We have increased the number of our acquisitions. We are currently planning to show 40 new films in cinemas and distribute a total of 105 films. This includes movie theaters, DVDs, VODs (video on demand) and TV channels. In addition, several more films are under development. We hope that someday we will also be able to show them in movie theaters.
What Hollywood movie studios do you collaborate with or plan to work with?
From large - sometimes we deal with Fox Searchlight. For the rest, we work with independent film studios. For example, Exclusive Media, which featured films such as “End of Watch” and “Rush”, as well as Studio Canal, Film Four, Protagonist Pictures, Jeremy Thomas' HanWay Films and many others.
How do you choose films for the UAE and GCC countries?
We make 95% of our acquisitions when films are still at the scripting stage. In addition, personal relationships with producers are also taken into account, and it is taken into account who will be the director, which actors will be removed.
Are there any difficulties and obstacles for film distributors in the UAE today?
How do you overcome them?
The main difficulty for every film distributor is, of course, censorship. Each country in the Middle East region and GCC countries have their own rules and laws. There is no censorship department common to the entire Arab world. Sometimes the decision to cut an episode from a film or to ban the entire tape to show depends on the personal perception of a particular “inspector”.
There are so many contradictions in our sphere. For example, why during film festivals are novelties and premieres uncensored? And when the same film hits the screens, it will surely be cut. I am convinced that censorship is an insult to human intelligence. Pay TV has the same problem. For example, OSN always shows films without cuts. The same people who “cut” or prohibit films from showing do not fight online piracy, and no one complains!
Tell us about your personal preferences in the cinema and beyond.
Favorite movie genre. Independent films, dark themes.
Favorite movie. Not a fair question. I have a lot of favorite films made in different genres of cinema. I can immediately name at least 20, not including the world famous hits on this list.
Among them: “The Godfather” first and second parts, “Apocalypse today”, “Requiem for a dream”, “Sid and Nancy”, “Deer hunter”, “Raging bull”, “City of God”, “Flight over the cuckoo's nest "," Dog noon "and many, many others. This list, I think, can be continued indefinitely.
Favorite director. And again, I like the work of many. These are such masters as Spielberg, Kubrick, Scorsese, Kurosawa, Fellini, Oliver Stone (his early works). As for the directors of the new generation, among them - Darren Aronofsky, Quentin Tarantino, Guillermo del Toro and also many others.
Favorite actor. Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, of course. I also love Steve McQueen, John Casale, Dustin Hoffman, Buster Keaton. From a new generation of actors - Tom Hardy, Ryan Gasling, John Hamm and, yes, Michael Fassbender!
Favourite actress. Meryl Streep, Maggie Smith, Diane Keaton, Jessica Chastain. I love Emma Stone very much ... but not because she is a good actress.
Favourite TV show. “Breaking Bad”, “Mad Men”, “The Client is Always Dead”, animated series “Family Guy” and “American Dad”, as well as “Soprano Clan”. I’m going to see the “Wiretap” still. Everyone stubbornly tells me that he is very good.
Favorite singer. I prefer classic rock bands: Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Al Green, The Doors, and also listen to Eric Klepton, Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder, Norah Jones, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin.
Favorite cuisine. Italian, Lebanese and Japanese.
Favourite drink. Whiskey Jack Daniel's.
Is there any book you would like to see an adaptation of?
Yes, a lot. I'd love to see the adaptation of "Dylan Doga" - this is an Italian horror comic book. I think he has great potential. The series is based on the book of British journalist Robert Fisk, “Pity the Nation”. At the same time, that the pilot series was shot by Oliver Stone!
It would be interesting to see the adaptation of the book by Don Simpson, an American producer, screenwriter and actor, "High Concept: Don Simpson and the Hollywood Culture of Outrages." And maybe even Life by Keith Richards, the guitarist of The Rolling Stones. That would be fantastic!
Do you think that the Russian-speaking community in the UAE is active in terms of visiting cinemas?
I think yes. A lot of Russian speakers live in the UAE. At the box office cinema they weekly leave a lot of money.
Would you like to cooperate with any Russian-speaking or Russian distributors, film studios or bring some Russian film to the UAE?
Unfortunately, love for foreign films has not yet strengthened in the UAE. And not only in the UAE, but throughout the Middle East. I know that several Russian films were here at the box office, but all of them were dubbed into English to attract the public. For example, hits such as "Night Watch" and "Day Watch"! Both films were dubbed into English. For true lovers of foreign cinema, this is a repulsive factor.
Are you familiar with the work of Russian-speaking filmmakers? Do you know any director, actor, actress, film?
Of course! I remember that the first film in Russian that I watched was called "BabaYaga." I was then a child. At first he was scared, but then he fell in love with him. I also watched Solaris, The Sun, and Alexander. I really like the work of Andrei Tarkovsky and Alexander Sokurov. Unfortunately, this is all I know about cinema in Russian.
Your wishes to the readers of the magazine "Russian Emirates".
So that they continue to support the cinema industry! And, perhaps, they found some Russian or Russian-speaking financial tycoon who would support the opening of an arthouse cinema in the UAE.
