Passions

A town by the sea. An hippodrome inhabited by peculiar characters. Horse races and male duels, love triangles and extravagant monologues written and performed by charismatic Renata Litvinova, a professional scriptwriter who was discovered by Muratova and immediately became a member of her on-screen ‘family’, as well as a cult star of the new Russian cinema. Their collaboration started with this film and continues to be fruitful.
Passions is a turning point in Muratova’s filmography, marking the final transition from more or less ‘narrative’ films to ones where the plot is not as important as the form, which is always free and innovative. While she can be compared to Federico Fellini, this the only film in which she fully reveals and at the same time undermines the ‘Fellinian’ nature of her cinema.