The Italian (2005) Italyanets (original title)

Director:

Andrey Kravchuk

Writer:

Andrei Romanov

Release Date:

22 September 2005 (Russia)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

In Russia, Every Orphan Longs for Adoption. Vanya Has Other Plans...To Find His Mother At All Costs

Plot:

Set in 2002, an abandoned 5-year-old boy living in a rundown orphanage in a small Russian village is adopted by an Italian family.

Plot Keywords:

Orphanage | Russian | Children | Italian | Adoption

Awards:

7 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Nikolay Spiridonov	...	Vanya Solntsev (as Kolya Spiridonov)
Mariya Kuznetsova	...	Madam
Nikolay Reutov	...	Grisha
Yuriy Itskov	...	Direktor
Denis Moiseenko	...	Kolyan
Andrey Elizarov	...	Seryy
Aleksandr Sirotkin	...	Timokha (as Sasha Sirotkin)
Vladimir Shipov	...	Vovan
Polina Vorobeva	...	Natakha
Olga Shuvalova	...	Irka
Dmitriy Zemlyanko	...	Anton (as Dima Zemlyanko)
Darya Yugrens	...	Mama Mukhina (as Darya Lesnikova)
Rudolf Kuld	...	Storozh
Tatyana Zakharova
Irina Osnovina	...	Sosedka
Elena Malinovskaya
Andrey Dezhonov
Vladimir Kosmidaylo
Anatoliy Agroskin
Vladimir Kuteynikov
Sergey Zhukovich
Dmitriy Konokotov
Diana Shishlyaeva
Olga Lysenkova
Vladimir Ryazantsev
Aleksey Koshevoy

Directed by
Andrey Kravchuk

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Andrei Romanov

Produced by
Olga Agrafenina	....	executive producer
Andrei Zertsalov	....	producer

Original Music by
Aleksandr Knaifel		(as Alexander Kneiffel)

Cinematography by
Aleksandr Burov		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Tamara Lipartiya

Production Design by
Vladimir Svetozarov

Costume Design by
Natalia Brabanova
Marina Nikolayeva

Makeup Department
Olga Grebeniuk	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Tatyana Nikolaeva	....	production manager

Art Department
Andrei Rudiev	....	set designer

Sound Department
Aliakper Gasan-zade	....	sound (as Aliakper Gassan Zade)

Production Companies

• Lenfilm Studio
• Tulos Cinema (in association with)
• Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation (with the support of)

Distributors

• Delphis Films (2009) (worldwide) (all media)
• Asmik Ace Entertainment (2007) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Cathay-Keris Films (2007) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Les Acacias (2007) (France) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2007) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Twin Film (2007) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Irfan Film (2011) (Turkey) (all media)
• Jump Street Films (2006) (Australia) (all media)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2007) (Canada) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Twin Video (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2007) (Finland) (TV) (TV1)
• absolut MEDIEN (2008) (Germany) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Italyanets" - Russia (original title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some violence, sexual content, language and thematic issues

Runtime:

90 min | Canada:99 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | Germany:99 min (PAL DVD)

Country:

Russia

Language:

Russian | Italian | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Sweden:7 | Australia:M | Singapore:PG | Brazil:12 | Japan:PG-12 | Germany:6

Company:

Lenfilm Studio

Trivia:

Russia's Official Submission to the Best Foreign Language Film Category of the 78th Annual Academy Awards (2006)

Not Christmas, but another miracle

It is not likely that I will find Andrei Kravchuk's first film, A Christmas Miracle< in my search for Christmas movies to get me in the spirit; but, his second film, and Russia's entry into the Oscar race is truly heartwarming and an outstanding sophomore venture for the new director.

Six-year-old Vanya (Kolya Spiridonov) is being adopted from a Russian orphanage by an Italian couple. While waiting, he comes across a mother looking for her son, who has long since been adopted. He decides to find his own mother and sets out to make this happen, even though he has already be "sold." Of course, the people who sold him are trying to find him as he journeys to find his mother. Six years old and off on a journey well beyond his years. Like so many children in the world he has to grow up too fast - most because of war or tragedy like Darfur.

You will be torn by what the children at the orphanage do to survive, and you will be heartened by the strangers who help him along the way. Most of all, you will find that there are some great movies out there that do not depend on CGI or excessive violence to entertain. This is certainly one of them.