Autumn

Andrei Smirnov, father of Avdotya Smirnova, is a prominent director of the Russian new wave of the 70s. His drama Byelorussia Station (1970) about disillusioned World War II veterans tackled the tabooed social issues of Brezhnev’s era. The film was a huge success and is regarded today as an iconic film of the early 70s.
Smirnov’s other major work, Autumn (1974), is a melodrama focusing on a couple escaping from the pressures of stressful city life and the psychological burden of an adulterous relationship. They rent a farm for a week and hope that they will manage to break the deadlock of their clandestine affair, rekindle their passion and begin a new life together as a ‘respectable’ couple. However, life on the farm and conversations with the friendly and unassuming hosts (an unforgettable debut appearance by Natalya Gundareva), strangers to the complexities of urban existence, puts the couple under even more pressure.
The story sensationally broke free from the moral dogmas of the communist regime. With its ‘daring’ erotic scenes and dubious moral message, this film was practically shelved by the Soviet authorities. Since then Andrei Smirnov has continued his career mainly as an actor, appearing in many (TV) films, including the highly successful biopic His Wife’s Diary by Alexei Uchitel, where he starred as the Russian Nobel Prize winning writer Ivan Bunin. (LC)