Hard to Be a God

  • 177'
  • Russia
  • 2013
Alexei German, who died in 2013, was always a fierce critic of authority. In his last film, he looks into the ultimate hierarchy: that of God and man. On the planet Arkanar, which halted its development in the Middle Ages, there are 30 terrestrial scientists. Don Rumata and his colleagues observe Arkanar with the knowledge of everything that could happen, but they cannot intervene. They are helpless gods in a world in which intellectuals are hunted like game.
Throughout his career, German wanted to film the novel by the Strugatski brothers, whose work also formed the basis for Tarkovski's Stalker; the last 15 years of his life were entirely dedicated to the project. His wife Svetlana Karmalita and son Aleksei German Jr completed the film after his death.
With a minimal amount of plot, German focuses on the unique world he has created. Mud, shit, spit, vomit, blood and entrails fill every corner of the screen: stunningly beautiful depravity.


  • 177'
  • Russia
  • 2013
Director
Alexei German
Country of production
Russia
Year
2013
Festival Edition
IFFR 2014
Length
177'
Medium
DCP
Original title
Trudno byt' Bogom
Language
Russian
Producers
Viktor Izvekov, Rushan Nasibulin
Production Company
Sever Ltd.
Sales
Sever Ltd.
Screenplay
Svetlana Karmalita, Alexey German, based on the novel by Boris and Arkadiy Strugatskiy
Cinematography
Jury Klimenko, Vladimir Iliyn
Editor
Irina Gorokhovskaya, Maria Amosova
Production Design
Sergey Kokovkin, Georgy Kropachev, Elena Zhukova
Sound Design
Nikolay Astakhov
Music
Viktor Lebedev
Cast
Leonid Yarmolnik, Jury Tsurilo
Director
Alexei German
Country of production
Russia
Year
2013
Festival Edition
IFFR 2014
Length
177'
Medium
DCP
Original title
Trudno byt' Bogom
Language
Russian
Producers
Viktor Izvekov, Rushan Nasibulin
Production Company
Sever Ltd.
Sales
Sever Ltd.
Screenplay
Svetlana Karmalita, Alexey German, based on the novel by Boris and Arkadiy Strugatskiy
Cinematography
Jury Klimenko, Vladimir Iliyn
Editor
Irina Gorokhovskaya, Maria Amosova
Production Design
Sergey Kokovkin, Georgy Kropachev, Elena Zhukova
Sound Design
Nikolay Astakhov
Music
Viktor Lebedev
Cast
Leonid Yarmolnik, Jury Tsurilo