Director of the 2016 “Ekipazh” remake mourns the loss of the legendary filmmaker.
The news of film director Alexander Mitta`s death has significantly impacted Nikolai Lebedev, director of the 2016 Russian disaster film “Ekipazh” (Flight Crew), a modern interpretation of Mitta`s seminal 1979 work.
Lebedev spoke of a “close, human relationship” with Mitta, describing him as “my older friend, teacher, someone who incredibly influenced me.” He consistently admired Mitta, calling him a person of “boiling energy, immense talent, [a] unique and yet dramatically underestimated artist.”
In Lebedev`s view, contemporary Russian cinema lacks creators with Mitta`s specific qualities – someone who could work across such a wide array of genres while maintaining a deep appreciation for the audience.
The connection between the two directors was cemented through the “Ekipazh” films. Lebedev revealed he would not have undertaken the 2016 project without Mitta`s explicit encouragement. Initially, Lebedev hesitated, feeling that reimagining Mitta`s classic was like attempting to “rewrite the Mona Lisa.” However, Alexander Mitta strongly advised him, stating, “Don`t you dare refuse! Take it on! I`ll help you!”
They held numerous discussions about Lebedev`s approach, agreeing that his film would not be a direct repetition but rather deeply inspired by the original masterpiece. Mitta engaged with the project, reading the script and even creating storyboards for the new film. Curiously, Lebedev never received these drawings, as Mitta later said he had misplaced them.
Lebedev recounted a particularly telling moment. When asking Mitta about the storyboards for his *original* “Ekipazh,” he learned that Mitta had gathered his early sketches and simply discarded them. A bewildered Lebedev exclaimed, “How could you do that?” to which Mitta calmly replied, “Oh, they just get in the way.” This attitude, while perhaps indicative of a forward-looking artist, struck Lebedev as “unfairly” dismissive of the historical value of his own creative process.
Over their quarter-century relationship, Mitta imparted to Lebedev a “subtle love for cinema,” teaching him to view filmmaking not just as a profession but as an “incredible adventure.”
Alexander Mitta`s death signifies a substantial loss, both on a personal level for his friends and colleagues like Lebedev, and for the broader landscape of Russian art, which, as Lebedev observes, has lost a truly singular and perhaps not fully recognized master.
