1
00:00:02,200 --> 00:00:06,194
(" Prokofiev: Dance Of The Knights
from Romeo And Julief)

2
00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:18,790
‘Moscow hasn't found itself short of western
visitors since the collapse of communism.

3
00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:24,791
‘But few could have had a more surprising
reason for coming than Dave Edwards,

4
00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:29,550
‘a man with an international reputation
as a maker of animated films.

5
00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:34,037
‘Although he's English by birth,
Edwards is closely associated with Wales,

6
00:00:34,080 --> 00:00:38,950
‘having helped to make that country
a key player in the world of animation.

7
00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:45,556
‘For the past 18 months, he has commuted
between Cardiff and Moscow,

8
00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:47,876
‘supervising a remarkable example

9
00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:51,879
‘of creative collaboration
between east and west.'

10
00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:56,515
(Speaks Russian)

11
00:00:56,560 --> 00:01:00,633
‘Here, at the crumbling but historic studios
of Soyuzmult Films,

12
00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:03,752
‘teams of animators
from all over the former Soviet Union

13
00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:06,679
have come together
under Dave Edwards' leadership

14
00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:09,189
‘to produce six half-hour films

15
00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:13,120
‘based on the best-loved plays
of William Shakespeare.'

16
00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:26,674
"This is the story of how the works
of England's greatest playwright

17
00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:33,114
‘have been reinterpreted by an unlikely
alliance of Welsh and Russian filmmakers.

18
00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:37,996
'It is a tale whose twists and tums might
have appealed to Shakespeare himself.

19
00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:58,350
‘Anyone accustomed
to swish western film studios

20
00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:02,314
is liable to be taken aback
by the appearance of Soyuzmult Films.

21
00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:07,070
‘But the impression of decay
the studio projects is, in fact, misleading.

22
00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:09,191
‘Ever since it was established in 1935,

23
00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:11,834
‘the company, known as the Soviet Disney,

24
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‘has adhered to the highest
technical and artistic standards.

25
00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:18,154
"lt was this reputation for excellence

26
00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:20,919
‘that led those in charge
of the Shakespeare project

27
00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:23,918
‘to conceive the notion
of making it here in Russia.

28
00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:31,237
‘Chris Grace, head of animation
at the Welsh language TV channel S4C,

29
00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:33,556
is the guiding force behind the series.

30
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‘He had worked with the Russians before
on an animated version of the Mabinogion,

31
00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:39,318
‘the Welsh folktale cycle.

32
00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:41,749
‘He had no hesitation in approaching them

33
00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:46,112
‘when the idea of animating Shakespeare
was first mooted three years ago.'

34
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I knew that the Russians
could make up their half of the budget.

35
00:02:51,920 --> 00:02:54,150
That was an underpinning reason.

36
00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:59,320
The main reason was that to animate
Shakespeare in a 30-minute format,

37
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then we had to go to a country that we knew
creatively and artistically could deliver.

38
00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:10,558
In my view, there was only one country
that could do it in the style that we wanted,

39
00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:12,637
that came at it from a different angle,

40
00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:16,196
a country to whom Shakespeare
was as important as it is to us.

41
00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:18,516
(Speaks Russian)

42
00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:21,598
(Interpreter) In the theatre,
the cinema and publishing,

43
00:03:21,640 --> 00:03:23,995
a great deal has been devoted
to Shakespeare.

44
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All the plays have been staged and filmed
many, many times.

45
00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:32,680
1 would say that his work is well known
throughout Russian society.

46
00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:36,759
(Interpreter) I've known
Shakespeare's work since childhood.

47
00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:39,713
I studied it at school
and later on at university.

48
00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:45,073
My interest in him has remained strong
right up until the present day.

49
00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:47,111
(Speaks Russian)

50
00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:51,239
(Interpreter)
The Tempest is the play I like best.

51
00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:55,956
It has the light touch of a craftsman
who's reached the stage of being free.

52
00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:59,880
He feels his own strength
and he's fully in control of his material.

53
00:03:59,920 --> 00:04:03,390
In fact, the play is created as if on wings.

54
00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:07,911
Awake, dear heart, awake.
Thou hast slept well.

55
00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:11,237
- (Moans)
- Come on.

56
00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:15,114
‘Before they could begin putting images
to Shakespeare's words,

57
00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:18,357
‘the Russian directors needed
a sound recording of each play

58
00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:20,755
‘to use as a basis for their work.'

59
00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:24,031
What, ho! Slave? Caliban!

60
00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:28,358
‘Recorded in the sound studios
of BBC Wales in the summer of 1991,

61
00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:31,677
‘these soundtracks are impressive
in their own right.

62
00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:34,360
‘Well-known classical actors
were brought in

63
00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:37,358
‘to make sure that the characters
in the completed films

64
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‘would speak in the authentic cadences
of the English Shakespearian tradition.'

65
00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:43,672
..Sycorax, my mother.

66
00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:51,114
"The scripts were the end product of months
of effort by screenwriter Leon Garfield.

67
00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:53,276
‘He wrote Shakespeare's Stories,

68
00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:57,712
‘a book that's given thousands of school
children their first taste of the Bard's work.

69
00:04:57,760 --> 00:05:02,516
‘He was very familiar with all the plays
he and the producers chose to adapt.

70
00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:06,155
‘He still had difficulty in deciding
what to leave out.

71
00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:11,559
(Garfield) ‘Lines that are selected
have to carry the weight of narrative,

72
00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:13,432
‘and that's not always easy.

73
00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:18,998
"lt frequently meant using half a line
and perhaps skipping 20 lines,

74
00:05:19,040 --> 00:05:22,510
‘and then finding something
that would sustain the rhythm,

75
00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:25,120
‘and at the same time cary on the story.'

76
00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:28,152
The most difficult by far
were the comedies -

77
00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:30,999
Twelfth Night
and Midsummer Night's Dream.

78
00:05:31,040 --> 00:05:35,830
In the tragedies, you have
a fairly strong story going straight through,

79
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sustained by the protagonists.

80
00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:42,429
In the comedies,
the structure is much more complex.

81
00:05:42,480 --> 00:05:44,790
For instance, in Midsummer Night's Dream,

82
00:05:44,840 --> 00:05:49,437
it's quite impossible to remove
one scene or one set of characters,

83
00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:53,758
because then the story itself
won't make sense.

84
00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:55,632
Our revels now are ended.

85
00:05:55,680 --> 00:06:02,552
We are such stuff as dreams are made on,
and our little life is rounded with a sleep.

86
00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:04,477
‘Before they were committed to tape,

87
00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:08,115
‘the scripts were carefully checked
by academic advisers.

88
00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:10,959
"The Russian directors
also suggested changes,

89
00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:14,595
‘an involvement that Leon Garfield
actively encouraged.'

90
00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:17,837
The collaboration
has been absolutely essential.

91
00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:22,397
The first scripts I did,
I hadn't seen any of their animation at all,

92
00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:26,070
and could only imagine
what animation could do.

93
00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:29,033
Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.

94
00:06:29,080 --> 00:06:35,315
But after I'd spoken to the directors,
who liked my scripts sufficiently

95
00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:38,239
and then suggested their own ideas,

96
00:06:38,280 --> 00:06:40,635
then I found it very much easier.

97
00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:45,389
"All the directors chosen for the series
are experienced filmmakers

98
00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:48,910
‘with strong characters and
a well-thought-out approach to work.

99
00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:50,951
‘With their designers and animators,

100
00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:54,231
‘they've given a distinctive
look and feel to each film.'

101
00:06:56,360 --> 00:06:59,034
- Romeo, we must have you dance.
- Not I, believe me.

102
00:06:59,080 --> 00:07:03,392
You have dancing shoes with nimble soles.
I have a soul of lead.

103
00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:06,717
‘Romeo And Juliet is perhaps
the most conventional of the six.

104
00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:11,197
‘Made by the cell animation method
favoured by Walt Disney,

105
00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:15,871
‘the film is a colourful and moving version
of the world's greatest love story.'

106
00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:19,629
Oh, she doth teach the torches
to burn bright.

107
00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:23,958
‘For its director, Efim Gamburg,
the film was a major departure.'

108
00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:25,991
(Speaks Russian)

109
00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:30,557
(Interpreter) It's very different
from my previous films,

110
00:07:30,600 --> 00:07:34,798
in that I have a leaning towards
humorous films, parodies or satire,

111
00:07:34,840 --> 00:07:36,751
and that's how I made my name.

112
00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:39,360
This, of course, is a film about love.

113
00:07:41,880 --> 00:07:45,111
Three words, dear Romeo,
and good night indeed

114
00:07:45,160 --> 00:07:47,720
If that thy bent of love be honourable

115
00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:50,513
Thy purpose marriage,
send me word tomorrow

116
00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:52,597
By one that I'll procure to come to thee

117
00:07:52,640 --> 00:07:56,429
Where and what time
thou wilt perform the rite

118
00:07:56,480 --> 00:07:59,916
And all my fortunes at thy foot I'll lay.

119
00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:03,755
The play deals with a timeless subject.

120
00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:07,236
It is about pure feelings,
fundamental feelings, if you like.

121
00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:11,069
Woe tried to express that
as clearly as possible in this film.

122
00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:21,832
What angel wakes me
from my flowery bed?

123
00:08:21,880 --> 00:08:26,192
Gentle mortal, sing again!

124
00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:27,469
‘Like Romeo And Juliet,

125
00:08:27,520 --> 00:08:31,673
'A Midsummer Night's Dream was made
in the conventional way, using drawings.

126
00:08:31,720 --> 00:08:34,280
‘And yet there's nothing anonymous about it.

127
00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:37,995
‘Anyone familiar with the work
of its director, Robert Saakiants,

128
00:08:38,040 --> 00:08:41,032
‘would instantly identify it
as one of his films.

129
00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:44,191
‘Unlike other directors in his field,

130
00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:46,959
'Saakiants,
a fiercely independent Armenian,

131
00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:50,595
‘does most of the drawings
that go into his films himself.

132
00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:55,669
‘He's reluctant to let anyone else interfere
with his interpretation of the film.'

133
00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:01,356
is determined by someone up there.

134
00:09:01,400 --> 00:09:04,631
I just have a vision
of what it should look like,

135
00:09:04,680 --> 00:09:07,274
and once I've seen it, I can't change a thing.

136
00:09:07,320 --> 00:09:11,598
Neither my head nor my hands would let me
put the film together in any other way.

137
00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:14,553
My Oberon!

138
00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:17,956
What visions have I seen!

139
00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:21,755
Methought I was enamoured of an ass!

140
00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:24,758
There lies your love.

141
00:09:24,800 --> 00:09:25,995
(Screams)

142
00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:31,160
Come, my queen, take hands with me.

143
00:09:36,080 --> 00:09:39,960
‘Nikolai Serebrayakov,
the bear-like director of Macbeth,

144
00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:44,039
is just as keen to put a personal stamp
on his films as Robert Saakiants.

145
00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:46,230
‘But working with a much darker play,

146
00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:48,476
‘he and his team have moved further away

147
00:09:48,520 --> 00:09:52,150
‘from most people's idea
of what an animated film should be like.'

148
00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:58,151
The castle of Macduff I will surprise;
seize upon Fife

149
00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:01,909
Give to the edge o' the sword
his wife, his babes

150
00:10:01,960 --> 00:10:07,034
And all unfortunate souls
that trace him in his line.

151
00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:14,199
(Nikolai) "When I was given the chance
of filming one of Shakespeare's plays,

152
00:10:14,240 --> 00:10:16,390
'l didn't choose Macbeth at random.

153
00:10:16,440 --> 00:10:18,670
'l had two good reasons.'

154
00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:22,918
First, it's got spirits, witches,
soothsaying, ghosts.

155
00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:24,951
All that makes it easier to adapt

156
00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:29,039
and means that
it's peculiarly well suited to animation.

157
00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:35,714
‘Secondly, it's one of the shortest plays.

158
00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:39,913
‘That's important, since we only have
26 minutes to tell the story.'

159
00:10:43,120 --> 00:10:46,431
(Thinks) 'Is this a dagger
which I see before me?

160
00:10:49,480 --> 00:10:52,393
'l have thee not.

161
00:10:52,440 --> 00:10:57,958
'A dagger of the mind? A false creation?'

162
00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:03,392
(Nikolai) "The main task we set ourselves
was to make the characters come alive

163
00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:06,751
‘by giving them believable gestures
and facial expressions.

164
00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:09,872
‘We tried to be actors as well as animators.

165
00:11:09,920 --> 00:11:13,550
"Hopefully this will be
what makes the film stand out.'

166
00:11:17,840 --> 00:11:20,480
‘The challenge of creating
rounded characters

167
00:11:20,520 --> 00:11:25,435
‘has also been a preoccupation for
Maria Muat, director of Twelfth Night.

168
00:11:25,480 --> 00:11:31,431
‘Instead of using drawings, she opted
to work with highly sophisticated puppets.'

169
00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:37,240
(Interpreter) The puppets are built around
a flexible metal skeleton,

170
00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:39,749
which we can manipulate
in any way we like.

171
00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:42,314
We move the puppets frame by frame.

172
00:11:51,240 --> 00:11:53,754
‘During filming,
we take a shot of the puppet,

173
00:11:53,800 --> 00:11:56,314
‘move it, take another shot, and so on.

174
00:11:56,360 --> 00:12:00,957
‘When you play this back at 24 frames
per second, you get realistic movement.'

175
00:12:03,480 --> 00:12:05,630
How now, Malvoliol

176
00:12:05,680 --> 00:12:07,830
(Laughs)

177
00:12:07,880 --> 00:12:10,520
Sweet lady, ho, ho!

178
00:12:10,560 --> 00:12:13,996
It did come to his hands
and commands shall be executed.

179
00:12:14,040 --> 00:12:15,872
What is the matter with thee?

180
00:12:15,920 --> 00:12:17,752
Wilt thou go to bed, Malvolio?

181
00:12:17,800 --> 00:12:21,919
To bed! Ay, sweet-heart,
and I'll come to thee.

182
00:12:21,960 --> 00:12:26,193
There's a whole host of tricks you can do
to make the characters more believable.

183
00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:31,235
Take our favourite character, Malvolio.
He's got several interchangeable heads.

184
00:12:31,280 --> 00:12:33,954
Here his expression is serious and arrogant.

185
00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:37,356
But there are scenes where he has to smile.

186
00:12:37,400 --> 00:12:40,233
To achieve this,
we take off the serious head

187
00:12:40,280 --> 00:12:43,352
and replace it with one
that's smiling slightly.

188
00:12:45,600 --> 00:12:49,150
The puppets move their eyes
because there are little balls

189
00:12:49,200 --> 00:12:51,350
that we can move around using a pin.

190
00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:54,711
This makes it easier
for us to convey a sense of character.

191
00:12:57,040 --> 00:13:01,113
‘In order to get particularly tricky movements
exactly right,

192
00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:05,996
‘the team referred to video recordings
of colleagues acting out the required scene.

193
00:13:06,040 --> 00:13:09,078
‘This explains how the characters
manage to give

194
00:13:09,120 --> 00:13:13,990
‘such a convincing, if exaggerated
impression of real human behaviour.

195
00:13:24,520 --> 00:13:27,114
‘The puppetry brought to bear
on Twelfth Night

196
00:13:27,160 --> 00:13:30,198
‘has also been used to striking effect
in The Tempest,

197
00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:33,278
‘Shakespeare's last
and arguably greatest play.

198
00:13:40,200 --> 00:13:42,316
'For director Stanislav Sokolov,

199
00:13:42,360 --> 00:13:45,352
‘having the chance to work on a play
he has always loved

200
00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:47,311
‘has been intensely rewarding.'

201
00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:54,118
(Interpreter) "You can express anything
you think or feel

202
00:13:54,160 --> 00:13:57,357
‘when you work with literature
of this standard.'

203
00:13:57,400 --> 00:14:01,155
You can make a film that reflects
your own temperament and feelings

204
00:14:01,200 --> 00:14:05,751
by exploring the psychological discoveries
Shakespeare made many years ago.

205
00:14:07,320 --> 00:14:10,790
This rough magic I here abjure

206
00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:15,309
And when I have required some
heavenly music, which even now I do

207
00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:19,513
I'll break my staff, I'll drown my book.

208
00:14:21,240 --> 00:14:24,392
(Sokolov) "This film is full
of deep-seated human emotions -

209
00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:27,000
"love, hatred, passion, envy.

210
00:14:27,040 --> 00:14:30,715
‘Because of the atmosphere
on this island, full of spirits and ghosts,

211
00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:33,718
'it seems these feelings overflow
in all the characters.

212
00:14:33,760 --> 00:14:37,276
‘They're almost visible on their faces.'

213
00:14:37,320 --> 00:14:42,474
Behold, sir king,
the wronged Duke of Milan, Prospero.

214
00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:53,034
‘Making inanimate objects talk and act
exactly like living creatures

215
00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:56,516
‘calls for a huge amount
of patience and skill.

216
00:14:56,560 --> 00:14:58,756
‘But painstaking as this work is,

217
00:14:58,800 --> 00:15:04,034
'it doesn't inspire quite as much awe as
the technique used for the series' final film.

218
00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:09,039
There's rosemary, that's for remembrance

219
00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:12,669
I would give you some violets

220
00:15:12,720 --> 00:15:17,635
But they wither'd all when my father died.

221
00:15:23,480 --> 00:15:27,917
‘The casual viewer might assume that
Hamlet had been made conventionally,

222
00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:30,873
‘with drawings traced and painted
onto celluloid.

223
00:15:30,920 --> 00:15:33,434
‘But the haunting quality of these images

224
00:15:33,480 --> 00:15:36,791
‘could never have been achieved
by normal methods.'

225
00:15:42,320 --> 00:15:45,870
‘The film is the product of
an unusual and difficult form of animation

226
00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:49,151
"in which each frame
is meticulously hand-painted

227
00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:52,670
‘onto a sheet of glass
suspended beneath the camera.

228
00:15:56,040 --> 00:15:58,634
‘Once each composition
has been photographed,

229
00:15:58,680 --> 00:16:03,629
it has to be altered slightly and then re-shot
to build up an illusion of movement.

230
00:16:03,680 --> 00:16:08,277
‘Here, the animator is scratching in
a new outline for the kneeling figure.

231
00:16:08,320 --> 00:16:11,631
"When he's finished,
the original artist will take over again,

232
00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:14,798
‘repainting the figure
according to this new guide,

233
00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:18,515
‘and restoring that part of the background
which has been disturbed.

234
00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:21,154
‘I's demanding, often back-breaking work,

235
00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:24,079
‘and even those in charge
were initially doubtful

236
00:16:24,120 --> 00:16:27,795
‘as to whether an entire film
could possibly be made in this way.'

237
00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:32,749
(Interpreter) The director, Natalia Orlova,

238
00:16:32,800 --> 00:16:35,599
had made
a film about Chekov using this method.

239
00:16:35,640 --> 00:16:40,589
That film was only ten minutes long.
Now she's risked doing 26 minutes of it.

240
00:16:44,600 --> 00:16:49,356
'l haven't seen all the material,
but that which I have seen is excellent.'

241
00:16:49,400 --> 00:16:51,914
Nobody else is doing this kind of work.

242
00:16:51,960 --> 00:16:56,318
I suppose it's because
it's so mind-bogglingly difficult.

243
00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:01,916
‘Thousands of glass sections
have to be scraped cleane

244
00:17:01,960 --> 00:17:03,871
‘so they can be used again.

245
00:17:03,920 --> 00:17:08,630
‘No one else would undertake it.
Not even the Chinese. Only us.'

246
00:17:09,520 --> 00:17:10,669
Da.

247
00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:18,717
A film made this way requires
a highly qualified team

248
00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:21,195
of very capable artists and animators.

249
00:17:24,680 --> 00:17:28,753
‘With every movement,
the artist has to draw extremely carefully,

250
00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:34,591
‘so that the form and proportion of the figure
doesn't change from one frame to the next.

251
00:17:34,640 --> 00:17:37,758
"This technique requires
great professionalism,

252
00:17:37,800 --> 00:17:40,792
‘which all my team members possess.'

253
00:17:40,840 --> 00:17:43,559
Woe have a superstition
that with such a long film,

254
00:17:43,600 --> 00:17:46,513
to get to the end you mustn't cut your hair.

255
00:17:46,560 --> 00:17:50,235
So I've taken a pledge not to have a haircut
until it's all over,

256
00:17:50,280 --> 00:17:53,272
which is why we're all looking a bit shaggy!

257
00:17:57,480 --> 00:18:00,279
‘The common element
that unites all the films

258
00:18:00,320 --> 00:18:02,960
is the careful stewardship
of Dave Edwards.

259
00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:07,949
‘His job as series producer has been
to act as a bridge between east and west,

260
00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:12,437
‘giving the directors creative freedom while
making them face up

261
00:18:12,480 --> 00:18:14,676
‘to unfamiliar commercial realities.

262
00:18:14,720 --> 00:18:17,997
‘This hasn't always proved
the easiest of tasks.'

263
00:18:18,040 --> 00:18:22,716
They haven't taken anything for granted.
Anything I've said has had to be proved.

264
00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:27,072
Either I've had to prove it fo them
in conversation and argument

265
00:18:27,120 --> 00:18:31,353
or they've had to find out for themselves
that something doesn't work.

266
00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:41,595
that every third film they made
was what was called their "soul film".

267
00:18:41,640 --> 00:18:45,952
They could make this just for themselves,
and it didn't matter about the market.

268
00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:49,152
The fact that the market didn't exist
in Russia in that sense

269
00:18:49,200 --> 00:18:51,191
meant they could do what they wanted.

270
00:18:51,240 --> 00:18:56,599
That's wonderful if i's a subsidised system,
but in a market system you can't afford that.

271
00:19:00,960 --> 00:19:05,431
- What's the background behind that one?
- (Woman translates)

272
00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:09,758
‘Some of the directors found it hard
to accept Dave Edwards' guidance initially,

273
00:19:09,800 --> 00:19:12,997
‘but all of them now admit that
the controlled way of working

274
00:19:13,040 --> 00:19:14,678
‘that's prevalent in the west

275
00:19:14,720 --> 00:19:16,791
‘does have certain advantages.'

276
00:19:21,800 --> 00:19:24,269
In the past, I've played many different roles.

277
00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:29,394
I've been the main artist on a film,
and sometimes the writer and the director.

278
00:19:29,440 --> 00:19:33,229
On those occasions,
I've been a completely free agent.

279
00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:41,313
'On this film, of course,
I wouldn't want to overstep the mark.

280
00:19:41,360 --> 00:19:45,752
‘But the rules have helped me
by steering me in a definite direction.

281
00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:50,795
'l sometimes flailed about on my other films
because I didn't have a screenplay,

282
00:19:50,840 --> 00:19:53,400
‘whereas here, there's a well-defined plan.'

283
00:19:55,520 --> 00:19:59,639
Maybe, at long last, our directors will learn
that you can't break deadlines.

284
00:19:59,680 --> 00:20:04,516
In the past, directors thought, "If I make
a good film, people will forgive me.”

285
00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:07,916
Now they understand
that they won't necessarily be forgiven,

286
00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:09,917
even if they make a great film.

287
00:20:09,960 --> 00:20:13,555
It has to be a great film and be on time.

288
00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:22,594
There is a scratch here.

289
00:20:22,640 --> 00:20:25,917
Normally we could polish that out,
but it's already...

290
00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:30,750
‘With Dave Edwards' help, the Russian
filmmakers have overcome many problems

291
00:20:30,800 --> 00:20:33,553
‘which could easily have jeopardised
the series.

292
00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:36,479
‘For instance, the damage caused
to some of the films

293
00:20:36,520 --> 00:20:38,750
‘by careless handling in the laboratory

294
00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:42,509
‘was eventually rectified
through a mixture of Russian ingenuity

295
00:20:42,560 --> 00:20:44,392
‘and western technology.

296
00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:49,116
‘But other problems were of a kind that no
outsider could hope to do anything about.

297
00:20:51,240 --> 00:20:52,913
‘The abortive coup of August 1991

298
00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:56,191
‘came just as production
was getting into its stride.

299
00:20:56,240 --> 00:20:59,756
‘Those responsible for the project
back in Britain

300
00:20:59,800 --> 00:21:02,314
‘were thrown into an instant state of panic.'

301
00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:08,551
We were very surprised
when the coup began on August 19th,

302
00:21:08,600 --> 00:21:12,275
because all day long
there were international calls.

303
00:21:16,200 --> 00:21:19,955
Chris rang. Dave rang. Everyone
wanted to know if we were still alive

304
00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:22,514
and what was happening over here.

305
00:21:24,080 --> 00:21:27,960
I said, "Things are bad for us
but the Shakespeare project is OK.

306
00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:31,914
‘We've been filming and we'll go on filming.'

307
00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:37,957
(Muat) 'It all happened nearby.

308
00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:41,436
"We were working,
but we heard how it all boiled over.'

309
00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:47,271
Some people went down to the barricades,
then I went down to have a look around.

310
00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:51,029
Woe were very upset and frightened
by the whole situation.

311
00:21:51,080 --> 00:21:54,436
We were very relieved
when it all tumed out so well.

312
00:21:58,360 --> 00:22:01,955
I arrived there a week later
and found the barricades,

313
00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:08,190
found the very emotional scenes
and places where people had died -

314
00:22:08,240 --> 00:22:13,997
not many, but there were wreaths
alongside the road, there were flowers.

315
00:22:14,040 --> 00:22:19,240
‘And the people had changed.
They'd been oppressed for a very long time.

316
00:22:19,280 --> 00:22:22,989
‘Suddenly they were proud of themselves,
of what they'd done.'

317
00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:27,557
They wanted to talk about the freedom
of expression that was now possible.

318
00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:30,638
I'd worked with them for five years
without that.

319
00:22:30,680 --> 00:22:33,320
There had always been this barrier,

320
00:22:33,360 --> 00:22:37,240
who would inform on who,
what was fair, now that had all gone.

321
00:22:38,840 --> 00:22:41,229
‘But even as the political climate improved,

322
00:22:41,280 --> 00:22:44,033
‘the economy grew
more and more unstable.

323
00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:49,157
‘Huge price rises
and shortages of basic goods

324
00:22:49,200 --> 00:22:52,591
"led to the streets of Moscow
becoming one enormous black market.

325
00:22:52,640 --> 00:22:57,589
‘Against this background, everyday life
for those involved with the project

326
00:22:57,640 --> 00:23:00,075
‘became increasingly hard.'

327
00:23:00,120 --> 00:23:04,751
(Dave Edwards) ‘I was trying to relate
to my children what life was like there.'

328
00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:09,715
The example I used was that I'd seen
some salami sausage in one of the shops

329
00:23:09,760 --> 00:23:16,359
and for an average man here, relatively,
to buy it would have cost them £800.

330
00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:19,636
"The parlous state of the Russian economy

331
00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:24,311
‘has affected Soyuzmult Films
in many different ways, all of them bad.

332
00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:30,995
‘The company, which employs several
hundred people in a variety of roles,

333
00:23:31,040 --> 00:23:34,954
‘has found itself confronted
with a vastly inflated wage bill.

334
00:23:35,800 --> 00:23:38,474
"This can only be met
by charging clients more,

335
00:23:38,520 --> 00:23:41,512
‘which could make the studios
uncompetitive.'

336
00:23:44,520 --> 00:23:46,750
Since we have such ridiculous inflation,

337
00:23:46,800 --> 00:23:49,792
we have to increase wages
s0 people can survive.

338
00:23:49,840 --> 00:23:51,990
That affects the cost of the films.

339
00:23:56,160 --> 00:23:59,630
Just as our costs are going up,
our revenue is going down,

340
00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:02,559
because audiences
aren't going to the cinema any more.

341
00:24:02,600 --> 00:24:05,353
They're too busy
trying to get something to eat.

342
00:24:05,400 --> 00:24:09,473
So I'm worried. I'm really not sure
what will happen to the studio.

343
00:24:13,120 --> 00:24:15,316
‘However bleak the future might seem,

344
00:24:15,360 --> 00:24:19,399
‘the people who work at the studio
refuse to become downhearted.

345
00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:23,832
‘Take Igor Makarov,
the chief designer of Romeo And Juliet.

346
00:24:23,880 --> 00:24:26,679
'He has suffered a lot, like most Russians,

347
00:24:26,720 --> 00:24:30,998
‘but he hasn't let the daily battles
of ordinary existence weigh him down.

348
00:24:32,520 --> 00:24:34,511
‘Every evening after work,

349
00:24:34,560 --> 00:24:39,031
‘Makarov retums to the tiny one-bedroom
flat in the Moscow suburb of Khimki,

350
00:24:39,080 --> 00:24:43,916
‘which he shares with his wife Tatiana
and their 16-year-old daughter Natasha.

351
00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:49,072
‘The Makarovs have lived here
for more than 25 years.

352
00:24:49,120 --> 00:24:52,795
‘Although Igor is at the top of his profession,

353
00:24:52,840 --> 00:24:56,117
‘he's never been granted
even a fraction of the rewards

354
00:24:56,160 --> 00:24:58,834
‘that would have come his way in the west.

355
00:24:58,880 --> 00:25:02,714
"Yet he's never considered emigrating,
and he swears he never will,

356
00:25:02,760 --> 00:25:04,910
‘however bad things may become.'

357
00:25:08,200 --> 00:25:11,830
(Igor) "I've survived
so many social upheavals I've gone grey,

358
00:25:11,880 --> 00:25:14,759
‘and I know that things
will probably get worse.

359
00:25:14,800 --> 00:25:18,680
‘But for the time being,
I can cope with all of it."

360
00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:22,156
I feel good inside because
I know that even if things are bad for me,

361
00:25:22,200 --> 00:25:23,952
if I've got nothing to eat or drink,

362
00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:26,799
my pen and my brush
will always be there for me.

363
00:25:26,840 --> 00:25:29,719
I'll always be able to take refuge in my work.

364
00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:33,230
I know it's the same for the others
who work at the studio.

365
00:25:40,800 --> 00:25:45,590
‘The ultimate reward for those who've
worked to make the series a success

366
00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:50,794
‘would be if critics acclaimed it a major
contribution to popularising Shakespeare.

367
00:25:50,840 --> 00:25:52,956
‘Having viewed the finished films,

368
00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:57,312
‘those in charge are confident
that it will indeed be seen in this way.'

369
00:25:57,360 --> 00:26:01,877
I'm sure it's going to be regarded
as a classic for a long time to come,

370
00:26:01,920 --> 00:26:06,278
and will alter people's perception
of animation as an art form.

371
00:26:06,320 --> 00:26:11,030
It takes Shakespeare away from
actors being Shakespearian,

372
00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:16,837
which is the thing we didn't want,
and suddenly they're intriguing characters.

373
00:26:16,880 --> 00:26:20,077
They're sometimes stereotypes -
they have to be -

374
00:26:20,120 --> 00:26:25,320
but our audience will be captivated by them.

375
00:26:27,720 --> 00:26:31,236
‘Although the series
will undoubtedly entrance many viewers,

376
00:26:31,280 --> 00:26:35,672
‘there are sure to be those who will argue
that by drastically abridging the plays

377
00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:40,157
‘and translating them into a medium
associated with children's entertainment,

378
00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:44,831
‘the filmmakers have robbed them of their
power to enthral and uplift an audience.

379
00:26:48,760 --> 00:26:52,435
‘Such views cut little ice, however,
with Professor Stanley Wells,

380
00:26:52,480 --> 00:26:56,155
‘director of the Shakespeare Institute
at Stratford-Upon-Avon.

381
00:26:56,200 --> 00:27:00,637
‘Called in by the producers to give his
verdict on the project at an early stage,

382
00:27:00,680 --> 00:27:03,115
‘he has never had any doubts
about its value.

383
00:27:03,160 --> 00:27:06,949
‘And what's more, he's sure that
Shakespeare would feel the same way.

384
00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:11,517
1 think he would have loved it, just as he'd
have loved other works based on his plays

385
00:27:11,560 --> 00:27:15,235
when they've been done
with genuine re-creative imagination.

386
00:27:15,280 --> 00:27:21,799
Not necessarily with total fidelity, because
he constantly adapted other people's work,

387
00:27:21,840 --> 00:27:23,672
making something new out of it.

388
00:27:23,720 --> 00:27:26,951
That's happened here
and I think he would have approved.

389
00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:30,630
‘A number of the episodes
have seemed particularly striking.

390
00:27:30,680 --> 00:27:35,038
‘For example, as Hamlet begins to speak
"To be or not to be”

391
00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:39,597
‘we see him gradually shrinking
onto the ground,

392
00:27:39,640 --> 00:27:44,032
‘and a cloak rises above him
rather like a winding sheet,

393
00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:46,117
‘and eventually he's lost in the cloak.

394
00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:51,792
‘That seems to encompass the notion
of Hamlet's obsession with death,

395
00:27:51,840 --> 00:27:54,639
‘which is such an important feature
of the play.'

396
00:27:54,680 --> 00:27:59,038
It's also necessary to say that the lines
that are there are all Shakespeare's.

397
00:27:59,080 --> 00:28:02,277
Of course they're heavily filleted
and a great deal is lost,

398
00:28:02,320 --> 00:28:04,914
and sometimes a person
who knows the play

399
00:28:04,960 --> 00:28:11,070
is longing for Brian Cox's Macbeth to give us
the rest of the soliloquy which is not there.

400
00:28:11,120 --> 00:28:15,398
But these are not primarily intended
for people who already know the plays,

401
00:28:15,440 --> 00:28:18,876
rather for people
who either don't know them

402
00:28:18,920 --> 00:28:24,359
or who, knowing them, are interested
in what can be done with and through them

403
00:28:24,400 --> 00:28:25,959
in a different medium.

404
00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:29,277
Animation comes at everything
with a new angle.

405
00:28:29,320 --> 00:28:32,073
It's seen with a different vision.

406
00:28:32,120 --> 00:28:35,431
"It's got everything -
drama, comedy, fantasy.

407
00:28:35,480 --> 00:28:39,872
‘In the hands of great artists, you can do
something very special with that.