Dusha

Dusha
Original film poster
Directed byAlexander Stefanovich
Written byAlexander Borodyansky
Alexander Stefanovich
Produced byAlexander Stefanovich
StarringSofia Rotaru
Rolan Bykov
Mikhail Boyarsky
Vyacheslav Spesivtsev
Music byAleksandr Zatsepin
Distributed byMosfilm
Release date
  • 1 January 1981 (1981-01-01)
Running time
93 minutes
CountrySoviet Union
LanguageRussian

Dusha (Russian: Душа, English translation: Soul) is a 1981 Soviet musical drama film written by Alexander Borodyansky and directed by Alexander Stefanovich, starring Sofia Rotaru and Mikhail Boyarsky. The movie features songs performed by Sofia Rotaru, Mikhail Boyarsky and the Russian rock band Mashina Vremeni (Time Machine). The movie has substantial philosophical dialogue about the self-criticism of an artist and the existential approach to the golden mean between artistic creation and respect for human dignity.

The movie featured a musical video,[1] with Rotaru and Boyarsky jumping on a trampoline in gold stretch fabric. Stefanovich claimed it was watched by more than 57 million cinema-goers in the Soviet Union,[1] while the KinoExpert.ru site lists 33.3 million.[2]

During production of the film, Rotaru's son was threatened to be taken hostage and was hidden in a villa in the Crimea.[3] The scenario and the role of Viktoria Slobodina were specially written for Rotaru. The main plot in the movie deals with the singer's health problems (inflammation of the vocal cords), and Rotaru had similar health issues.

The story is set by the sea at Rotaru's house in Yalta and in Germany (where Rotaru at that time recorded many of her albums), as well as at international song festivals, where Rotaru participated as well. Initially, producer and director Stefanovich cast his wife Alla Pugacheva to star in the film. After their breakup, he invited Rotaru.[4][5]

  1. ^ a b Filimonov, Mikhail (2004). Искусство жить по Стефановичу. Express Gazeta (in Russian). 50. Retrieved 27 December 2008.
  2. ^ Dusha Archived 10 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine KinoExpert.ru
  3. ^ Sofia Rotaru, Alexandr Stefanovich (January 2008). Sofia Rotaru: Secrets of Her Success. (in Russian). INTER. Retrieved 1 May 2008.
  4. ^ Sadchikov, Mikhail (28 December 2006). "Mikhail Boyarsky: "I am reading "Bulba" - and I am crying!"". Trud (in Russian). Retrieved 5 May 2008. Сначала на роль пробовалась Пугачева, но потом режиссер картины Александр Стефанович, тогдашний муж Аллы, с ней рассорился. (Initially Pugacheva was auditioned, but afterwards Alexander Stefanovich the director of the movie and Alla's husband at the time, broke up with her.)
  5. ^ Sofia Rotaru, Alexandr Stefanovich (January 2008). Sofia Rotaru: Secrets of Her Success. (in Russian). INTER. Retrieved 1 May 2008.