Lyubov Yuryevna Arkus (; born 1960) is a Russian director, film expert, editor, founder of ''
Seans'' magazine, ''
Anton's Right Here'' charity foundation, and ''Chapaev.media'' educational project.
Biography
Early years and education
As recalled by Arkus, her family was of Jewish descent, her father's ancestors stemmed from Odesa and lived in
Harbin
Harbin, ; zh, , s=哈尔滨, t=哈爾濱, p=Hā'ěrbīn; IPA: . is the capital of Heilongjiang, China. It is the largest city of Heilongjiang, as well as being the city with the second-largest urban area, urban population (after Shenyang, Lia ...
. Her paternal grandfather Boris Arkus (1896–1938) was arrested in
repressions of 1937 and shot in 1938, his widow was arrested and spent all her life in
labour camps
A labor camp (or labour camp, see spelling differences) or work camp is a detention facility where inmates are forced to engage in penal labor as a form of punishment. Labor camps have many common aspects with slavery and with prisons (especi ...
.
[
Arkus entered ]Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography
The Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography, officially the S. A. Gerasimov All-Russian University of Cinematography (, meaning
''All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography named after S. A. Gerasimov''), a.k.a. VGIK, is a film school in Moscow, ...
from the third attempt, she studied at the course of Lidiya Zaitseva. After graduation in 1984, she worked as a literary secretary of Viktor Shklovsky
Viktor Borisovich Shklovsky ( rus, Ви́ктор Бори́сович Шкло́вский, p=ˈʂklofskʲɪj; – 6 December 1984) was a Russian and Soviet literary theorist, critic, writer, and pamphleteer. He is one of the major figures asso ...
and an editor at Lenfilm
Lenfilm (, acronym of Leningrad Films) is a Russian production and distribution company with its own film studio located in Saint Petersburg (the city was called Leningrad from 1924 to 1991, thus the name). It is a corporation with its stakes s ...
.
''Seans''
In 1989, she founded Seans magazine that soon became the best Russian blueprint on cinema. In 1993, Arkus became the editor-in-chief. In 1993, ''Seans'' launched its publishing house. In 2001-2004 it released a monumental seven-volume almanac ''Recent History of Russian Cinematography. 1986-2000''. Arkus wrote multiple articles, compiled and edited the book. In 2010, ''Seans'' established its creative workshop. Under Arkus, the publication grew into the most influential magazine on cinema with leading
modern writers as columnists. By peers, the magazine is acknowledged ‘the last stronghold of common sense in modern Russia’.
''Anton's Right Here''
In 2008, while working on ''Seans initiative ''Cinema of open action'', Arkus encountered Anton Kharitonov, a teenager with ASD. She became deeply involved in his life, trying to save him from a psychoneurological dispensary. To gain public attention to problems of people with ASD, Arkus decided to film a documentary about Anton.
Mostly the film budget was spent on solving the heroes' problems. Operator Alisher Xamidxojaev denied payment for his work and financially supported Anton. ''AdVita'' foundation paid for Renata, Anton's mother, cancer treatment. Konstantin Ernst
Konstantin Lvovich Ernst (; born 6 February 1961) is a Russian media manager, producer and TV host. He is currently the CEO of Channel One Russia.
Biography Early years and education
His father Lev Konstantinovich Ernst, of History of Germa ...
helped to release Anton from the neuropsychiatric detention center. Friends of Arkus Sergei Bodrov
Sergei Vladimirovich Bodrov ( rus, Серге́й Влади́мирович Бодро́в, p=sʲɪrˈɡʲej bɐˈdrof; born 28 June 1948) is a Russian film director, screenwriter, and producer. In 2003 he was the president of the jury at the ...
, Renata Litvinova
Renata Muratovna Litvinova (born 12 January 1967) is a Russian actress, film director, and screenwriter.
Biography
Was born in Moscow to Volga Tatars, Volga Tatar father Murat Aminovich Vergazov and a Russians, Russian mother, Alisa Mikhailo ...
, Dunya Smirnova
Avdotya (Dunya) Smirnova (; born 29 June 1969) is a Russian screenwriter, film director, producer, TV host and literary critic, winner of numerous awards and accolades, founder of the charity foundation .
Biography
Early years and family
Av ...
, Anna Parmas, and many more helped Anton in crisis moments.
The movie ''Anton's Right Here'' received numerous Russian and international awards and was screened at the 69th Venice Film Festival.[
In 2013, Arkus opened a ]charitable foundation
A foundation (also referred to as a charitable foundation) is a type of nonprofit organization or charitable trust that usually provides funding and support to other charitable organizations through grants, while also potentially participating d ...
, named in honour of Anton Kharitonov. The foundation helps socialization, education and creative involvement of children and adults with ASD. First of its kind in Russia, by 2021 the foundation grew into a center that helps more than 500 families with ASD members.
Other activities
In March 2022, Arkus signed a collective appeal of film critics, film historians and film journalists of Russia against Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...
.
References
Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography alumni
Russian film critics
Russian film directors
1960 births
Living people
Russian women journalists
Russian women editors
Russian documentary filmmakers
Russian women film directors
Russian disability rights activists
People from Lviv
Film theorists
Russian women film critics
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