Kira Takhirovna Kovalenko
Born (1989-12-12) 12 December 1989 (age 34)
Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkarian ASSR, RSFSR, USSR
NationalityRussian
Occupations
  • Director
  • screenwriter
Years active2014–present
Notable workSofichka (film) [ru], Unclenching the Fists
AwardsCannes Un Certain Regard (2021), Russian Guild of Film Critics (2022)

Kira Takhirovna Kovalenko (Russian: Кира Тахировна Коваленко, born 12 December 1989) is a Russian film director and screenwriter.

Biography

After school, Kovalenko went to college and graduated in web-design.[1] In 2010-2015 she studied at the Kabardino-Balkarian State University under Alexander Sokurov. Directors Kantemir Balagov, Alexander Zolotukhin and Vladimir Bitokov were her fellow students.[2][3][4] During studies, Kovalenko directed several short movies.[5][6]

After graduation, Kovalenko lived in Abkhazia, then in St Petersburg and Moscow. Her feature-length debut Sofichka (film) [ru] was based on Fazil Iskander's novel of the same name and was released in 2016.[7] The movie was included in the competition program of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival[8] and was awarded at the XV International Debut Film Festival ‘Fire Spirit’ in Khanty-Mansiysk.[9]

Kovalenko's second movie Unclenching the Fists was filmed in North Ossetia in only 25 days.[10][11][12][13] The movie took the main prize at the Cannes Film Festival in Un Certain Regard in 2021 and received a distribution offer by Mubi streaming service.[14][15][16]

Kovalenko and fellow dissident filmmaker Kantemir Balagov were chosen as Telluride Film Festival guest directors in September 2022.[17]

In November 2022, Kovalenko announced her new project under a working title 'Children of hope'. The script is co-authored with Russian writer Marina Stepnova, Alexander Rodnyanskiy's studio AR Content will produce the project.[18]

References

  1. ^ "12 Disciples of Sokurov: Kira Kovalenko". gorets-media.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  2. ^ Anisimova, E. (2018-04-17). "Знакомьтесь, Александр Золотухин – ученик Сокурова заканчивает дебютную картину «Слухач»" [Alexander Zolotukhin – Sokurov’s student finishes his debut film] (in Russian). Sobaka. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  3. ^ Geoffrey Macnab (2021-09-02). "Alexander Rodnyansky on why this is an amazing moment for Russian filmmaking". Screen Daily. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
  4. ^ Moskvitin, E. (2019-06-20). "Кантемир Балагов: «Уверен, что мои амбиции меня когда-нибудь погубят»" [Kantemir Balagov: ‘I Feel that my Ambitions will ruin me someday’] (in Russian). Esquire. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
  5. ^ "О чем думают молодые режиссеры? «Софичка»: на анкету «Афиши» отвечает режиссер Кира Коваленко" [What Do Young Directors Think About? ‘Sofichka’: Kira Kovalenko Answers Afisha Questionnaire]. Afisha Daily. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  6. ^ "Балагов / Kantemir Balagov's big interview (English subs)". YouTube (in Russian). Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  7. ^ "«Пришлось бороться»: Кира Коваленко о своём дебютном фильме и о специфике работы женщины-режиссёра на Кавказе" [‘We Had to Fight’: Kira Kovalenko on Her Debut and Being Female Director in Caucasus] (in Russian). 2017-11-21. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  8. ^ "Птенец гнезда Сокурова". etokavkaz.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  9. ^ Архив — Фестиваль Дух Огня
  10. ^ Brontwein, Sofia (2021-09-15). "«Разжимая кулаки»: режиссер Кира Коваленко о победе в Каннах, Балагове и Сокурове" ['Unclenching The Fists': Director Kira Kovalenko on Cannes, Balagov and Sokurov]. Forbes (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-04-08.
  11. ^ "Kira Kovalenko".
  12. ^ "Фильм продюсера Роднянского "Где Анна Франк?" включен в программу Канн" [‘Where Is Ann Frank?’ Produced by Alexander Rodnyansky Included in Cannes program]. Российская газета (in Russian). 10 June 2021. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  13. ^ "Торонто-2021: «Разжимая кулаки» Киры Коваленко покажут на фестивале" [Toronto-2021: 'Unclenching The Fists' by Kira Kovalenko]. KinoReporter (in Russian). Retrieved 2021-07-29.
  14. ^ Lodge, Guy (2021-09-02). "'Unclenching the Fists' Review: An Intense, Immersive Coming-of-Age Tale from the North Caucasus". Variety. Retrieved 2022-04-08.
  15. ^ "Unclenching The Fists". Toronto Film Festival. Retrieved 2022-04-08.
  16. ^ Lattanzio, R. (2021-09-04). "'Unclenching the Fists' Review: A Bold Filmmaking Voice Bursts from a Bleak Russian Coming-of-Ager". IndieWire. Retrieved 2022-04-08.
  17. ^ Kohn, Eric (2022-06-14). "Russian Directors Kira Kovalenko and Kantemir Balagov Discuss Fleeing the Country, Call Putin a 'Butcher'". IndieWire. Retrieved 2022-09-05.
  18. ^ Mamikonyan, O. (2022-11-10). "Режиссер Кира Коваленко снимет новый фильм под рабочим названием «Дети надежды»" [Kira Kovalenko's new movie is titled 'Children of hope']. Forbes (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-12-30.
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