The Best of Times

With Russian dramatist Ivan Vyrypayev as scriptwriter, Svetlana Proskurina has opted for a story with a seemingly minimalist narrative and a broad universal scope – a plot rooted in ancient dramatic tradition and based on a deep understanding of the human psyche. A man and two women are locked into a lifelong relationship – where unrequited love is mixed with genuine tenderness, and desperate passion is tamed by predestined separation.
Mikhail Evlanov plays an ordinary man who finds himself drawn into an extraordinary love triangle – in which the two women, Valentina and Katya, progress through life, carrying the burden of their passion for him and their seeming hatred towards each other. After the man’s death they become inseparable, bonded by a shared dark secret.
Proskurina here ventures into the ‘territory of love’ – the only territory where one can still breathe freely. She is interested in the spiritual aspect of love, rather than its physical manifestations. The female characters, depicted at the age of 20, 40 and 60 are played by different actresses, whilst the man – Valentin – remains unchanged and almost untouched by time. This subdued drama, though austere in style, delivers a challenging philosophical message. Svetlana Proskurina remains true to her artistic credo, as she continues to explore the enigmatic world of human emotions. (MB)

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