Plot

The film tells the story of the regular visits that the legendary Russian ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev made to Turkey between 1980 and 1990.

The film focuses on the frequent trips that the legendary Russian ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev made to Turkey between 1980 and 1990, and explores his affinity for the country, which carried echoes for him of the homeland (and mother) that he was not allowed to visit after his defection to the West in 1961, and did not see again until 1987. It includes contributions by many of those who knew Nureyev during this period - principally his long-time friend Yasemin Pirinccioglu, who worked with him to stage "The Sleeping Beauty" in Istanbul, and is the keeper of his Turkish archive. It combines these with hitherto unseen footage from private films made at the time.—neil.mccartney@mccartneymedia.co.uk

The life of Rudolf Nureyev, the genius of the dance, the reformer of the classical ballet, constitutes one of the greatest stories and mysteries of the last century. The astonishing journey that he covered from his birth in obscurity to his death in a blaze of publicity continues to amaze more than 20 years later.

The eternal wanderer, Nureyev travelled from country to country, from city to city, never staying anywhere for long. He owned a string of houses and islands in different parts of the world, but everywhere he was only a guest. Having lost his roots, he was like a wandering star. He never found his Home, the only Home to which he wanted to return, and where his arrival was eagerly awaited.

He was a Tatar by birth, who grew up in the provincial Soviet city of Ufa in the time of the Stalinist terror and the Second World War, in a poor Muslim Tatar-Bashkir family, heavily influenced by Russian culture. He lived most of his life in the West, but his soul was always with the East - warm, sunny, and colourful.

It is not by chance that Nureyev's grave at the Russian cemetery of Sainte- Genevieve-des- Bois in the suburbs of Paris is covered with an Oriental rug, the pattern of which was copied by his friend, the artist Ezio Frigerio, from one of the carpets of his own collection. These carpets were both his passion and his inspiration. The "language" of the carpet frequently formed the basis of the dance.

We know a great deal about the life of Nureyev in the West, but not much about his links with the East.

The film focuses on his visits to Turkey between 1980 and 1990, based on unique and hitherto-unpublished evidence. It tells the story of his production of Sleeping Beauty on the stage of the Istanbul Opera and Ballet House. Of his dream to work with Frigerio to build a grandiose house on the Turkish island of Gemiler (known in English as St Nicholas), near the city of Fethiye.

It tells the amazing story of this house, which was built in his memory after his death, and which became the meeting place of men of art, along with international celebrities such as Kirk Douglas.

Yasemin Pirinccioglu, Nureyevs long-time friend and the keeper of his Turkish archive, talks about his search for the "island of his dreams" somewhere in the middle of the sea, where he wanted to build, and about how she carried on the project. Together with her, we go to the island. We visit the house, which resembles the library of Ahmet III at the Topkapi Palace (as Nureyev had wanted), where we meet some of his friends. These include Frigerio, who also worked with Werner Herzog, Andrei Konchalovsky and Yuri Grigorovich. Plus the stars of the Turkish ballet Sonya and Ozkan Arslan, Nilay Yesiltepe and Cigdem Simavi (who danced with Nureyev), as well as the famous French choreographer Charles Jude.

The film includes reconstructions of real events along with some fiction elements. It sparkles with the bright colours of the East. The combination of classical music, romantic landscapes, the voice of Nureyev himself and, of course, fragments of his on-stage performances, bring viewers into the world of art, where the genius of dance lived and worked.

The films locations include the Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, the town of Dikili in Izmir and the island of Gemiler.

It uses a range of archive materials such as photographs, video and film footage provided by the Nureyev Foundation, private collections, and the Gosfilmofond film archive of the Russian Federation.

This exciting, spectacular film is a Russian-Turkish co-production addressed to the wide audiences of both Russia and Turkey and the rest of the world.

neil.mccartney@mccartneymedia.co.uk