Great Kremlin concert of the legendary band “Flowers” was held in November last year and became a big musical event. The Creator and leader of the group of Stas Namin, as a graduate Director, the final cut of the concert film took us himself. The process dragged on for several months, and now the show is ready to telepremera.
the Fiftieth anniversary of the group “Flowers” was widely reported in the “MK” and in November last year, and the Stas Namin and many famous musicians, which the company recalled the incredible stories from the past, and said nice words about the anniversary.
On the underground part of the Kremlin show a small film called “Behind the scenes”, and it is intended rather for private use, but the readers of “MK” is an exclusive opportunity to go somewhere, where is not allowed without a special pass and listen to all star participants.
Long known that the Stas Namin is engaged in a variety of creative projects. The famous musician and composer working in many musical directions, has been realized and as an artist, photographer, and Creator and Director of “Theatre of music and drama”. An important place in the career of Stas Namin is a documentary movie. In an interview with “MK” Mr. Namin said about filming around the world and the family approach to the projects elaborated on the filmography concert of the group “Flowers”, and identified the difference between the Russian rock from the West.
the Most difficult thing when shooting concerts — to the atmosphere in the hall. Were you able to do this Director of your concert film?
— In the sets for our shows usually involved two Directors – the Director most of shooting and film editor. When we shoot with film editor in post-production, I’m myself and shoot we work together with the Director, which removes the concert.
This concert in the Kremlin was directed from the television, and we seriously did not agree, so the installation was very complicated and took me several months. But in the end, I think the spirit and the drive was able to transfer. We got what we wanted: not specially invented and orchestrated concert, with different effects and bells and whistles, but simple and spontaneous, such, what we usually play.
We just sang all our well-known and new songs and the audience sang together with us, and once even without us. The audience asked us again to sing “Summer evening”, but Valera of Diorditsa the end of the concert sat voice. Then six thousandth he sang for us, and we stood on the stage and listened…. And there were a lot of cute and unexpected moments. In General, I think this Saturday at 23.00 the viewers will have the feeling that they are sitting in the hall.
— Mr.the group “Flowers” there are several concert films, chronicling the technological advances of television and music productions. Which of these movies do you like more, and if there are any ones that you think are not very good?
— we Have over fifty years was not so many concerts. The life of the “Flowers” actually consist of two periods of about twenty years each (the first from 1979 until 1990 and the second from 1999 to this day), and a decade between them.
Filmed our shows from the 2000s, and all that was in the USSR is a past strict censorship and shot in the style of VIA individual songs. Them and then to watch was impossible, but now just covers the horror when by chance I see. That is why I did not filmed, and the footage of those times I’m not. The real “Flowers” it’s not like we were opposite the VIA, and then in concerts played not a scoop, but real rock music, and therefore were prohibited.
the First time our concert was shot clandestinely in 83 or 84 year in Alma-ATA and what was then shot, of course, was nowhere shown. On a tour of the US, our concerts were filmed in different cities, but Russia has not got anything, and now something can only be found on the Internet.
In Russia, was first discovered, filmed and shown on TV our concert after a decade when in 1999 we met again and played anniversary “Flowers, 30”. I now smile watching it and remembering how it was then ill-conceived and spontaneously, and what we and all our guests young and naive.
our Next concert, which was filmed and shown on TV, is also the anniversary — “Flowers-40” in “Crocus” in 2009. Two years later we played there and took another big concert on TV did not show, but it’s on You-Tube, and we released a DVD, dividing it into two parts – the “Reasonable Man” and “Flower Power”.
In 2014 we played a concert in “arena” and has made several songs dedicated which started the war in Ukraine, but it can only be seen on the Internet. Concert in the Kremlin, in fact, the fourth filmed for TV for the past twenty years and maybe the best. There we just played and sang, forgetting about the TV and filming a huge scene, and was such as in ordinary life, like the kitchen, among friends. Only the kitchen was on six thousand spectators.
for a Long time “Flowers” fall under the prohibition, and appear on the screen and even radio, the group was very difficult. Why now, when the rock music is not forbidden, you also very rarely seen on TV and heard on the radio?
— This is an interesting question, which provokes some unexpected reasoning. I think the fact that if in 70-80-ies of the “Flowers” was an alternative that sounded in the air, and now we are in a sense also not very inscribediwaasa in the conventional domestic standards.
Russian rock in contrast to the West, is under the influence of so-called art song. This means that one songwriter writes both music and lyrics and he sings a song and the other musicians accompany him. And in fact not very important, who else plays in the group besides the leader, as any can be easily replaced and the music is almost not affected.
In the world is there, too, so does Bob Dylan, did David Bowie, and others, but the group is not known. In international understanding, the group is a team, where each musician is fundamentally depends on the music, image and style. “Flowers” was created under the influence of the Beatles and in many ways technically similar.
we also Have three of the lead vocalist, too, melodious music, polyphonic arrangements, and, modestly speaking, the guys sing and play professionally, which is rare in domestic rock music. And I’m not a songwriter, and “the Flowers” sing my song. There is probably not only the audience but the musicians, who do not agree with this. And in our country and in the West, where we played a lot and recorded.
“Flowers” about twenty hits, which the whole country knows, and it confirms not only the Kremlin concert, but also any group tours where the audience sings all the songs with us. But for some reason this doesn’t convince editors music channels and those who commanded them. They have their own criteria that are not related to generally accepted values and understanding of this music.
whatever it was, with our “classic” style and understanding of rock music today, as well as in the ‘ 70s, we, in the domestic musical Olympus, are a kind of not a relevant alternative. Guys it’s probably a little insulting, and I for fifty years, other relationship to the “Flowers” and can’t remember, so this, absolutely calm. I have in recent months suddenly wrote the songs for the new album and one of them is called “Time is on my side.”
— in addition to music you have many other interests. For example, documentaries for many years is the area where you implement a variety of projects. What inspired you to create a passion for documentary filmmaking?
— In the eighties I graduated from high kusy for scriptwriters and Directors at Goskino of the USSR and was going to engage seriously in the film industry, but the restructuring I was distracted from these plans. Today I downloaded different projects that invent himself, being unable to quit and as a Director to shoot movies. So I shoot only documentaries and producing.
— Among the works made with your direct participation, there are movies of different genres. Music lovers certainly impressed Free to rock, about the impact of rock culture on the life of l��day. And you traveled with a camera in different countries…
— If you remember the Free to rock, and on this film we worked some years with my friend, Director Jim brown, a four-time winner of the award “Emmy”, and of course, working with him gave me a great experience. Then we took a film with him “Real Cuba”, which received several awards at different festivals. I was shooting in India, Africa, USA, Latin America, Indochina and many other countries and tried to capture the spirit and energy of ethnic identity and the culture of these countries.
— One of your documentaries dedicated to Ernst Neizvestny. In the film, you are not in the usual role of the interviewer. What impressions do you have of filming?
— Well, I guess it would be correct to call it not an interview but a conversation with Ernst were friends for many years and often chatted on various topics. And one conversation managed to shoot, and it turned out to be his last filmed a conversation about life. But the fact that the interviewer is unusual for me role, it is not so. At such an interview-a conversation built my film “Ancient churches of Armenia about the history and culture of my ancestral homeland. It I about the same speak with the Catholicos of all Armenians Karekin II.
— On this film you worked with her son Artem. What care he took?
— Artem is a professional filmmaker, he studied in America, and ninety percent of that shot is to his credit. But if I first time came to Armenia as a child, that Artem before the shooting was not there. He was born in new York, where he graduated from the University, he completed an internship with Robert De Niro at the “Tribeca” and is now working in Moscow. But after our trip he told me that he felt Armenian. In America and Moscow, he thought about it, but Armenia did feel something near and dear.
— have You traveled by car almost the entire country and visited the places, which are called distant from modern urban civilization. Probably there were some difficulties?
always helped Us, and I think it would be in other countries. In General, in any country, the more capital, the better and easier people.
From my point of view people are not divided by nationality, party affiliation or ideological views. They are divided into decent people and not. But that is not very good, they are divided by nationality, party affiliation, ideological views, etc.
Armenia Itself is an artefact in the history of world civilization. Nobody needs to prove its thousand-year history. In many museums around the world there are numerous documents and artifacts that cannot be denied.
Another thing is that the fate of any nation develops differently. ArManski people at different times have experienced tragedy in their history, but over the millennia has been preserved and the state, and the genetic code. For example, today’s Greeks are not descendants of the ancient Greeks. Today’s Arabs are not descendants of the peoples who inhabited Ancient Egypt. It is genetically very different nation. Today, the Armenian DNA — the descendants of the ancient Armenians. I don’t know how it helps them (smiles).
nevertheless, perhaps because of the antiquity of the nation, Armenians have some kind of folk wisdom and the genetic kindness. In Armenia there is no nationalism and aggression, no hatred for anyone. This is particularly true of the common people on the periphery.
the Film was shot in 2016, as Prime Minister, including on the website of “MK”, took place a few days ago. You are really in a hurry…
My daughter, who is a big girl and she is growing three daughters once asked me: “How do you manage everything?” And I said, “I do everything fast, but in no hurry.” And do so. I don’t follow the fashion and do only that with my point of view with fashion has nothing to do, and in fact at all times. In my opinion, the film “Ancient Armenian churches”, as well as others that I removed, has nothing to do with time, and in a hundred years you can watch with interest.
