Favorsky

Director: Dmitry Svetozarov

The film action begins in 1982. The main character Alexander Bogdanov (Ilya Shakunov) – the chief mate on the merchant ship of the Baltic Shipping Company – returns from the international voyage. In Stockholm he accidentally meets the old Swedish woman, who asks him to hand over a book about Carlson to her old friend in Moscow. Bogdanov agrees. He tells about his intention to the master of the ship. Their talk is overheard by his acquaintance, one of the mates, Sychev (Valery Degtyar), who is in unrequited love with Bogdanov’s fiancée Masha (Tara Amirkhanova).

Having arrived at Leningrad, Sychev over a bottle of whisky tells about the book his former colleague Dolgushin (Alexander Lykov), who has been retired for currency deals. They join in a conspiracy. Sychev informs on Bogdanov to the State Security Committee and at the moment of the book handing over Bogdanov is arrested. This case is prosecuted by the investigator of the State Security Committee Malyutin (Andrey Zibrov), who accidentally finds out that the book has been intended for his «biological» father Solomon Zivert. Malyutin realizes that if someone in the State Security Committee learns that he is a son of the Jewish dissident, it will be the end of his career. Then Malyutin decides to put Alexander to a secret prison of the State Security Committee, where about ten prisoners are kept for term of life.

In prison Bogdanov makes close friends with his cellmate, the old man Wallenberg (Nodar Mgaloblishvili), who becomes his mental tutor and teaches Bogdanov world culture, religion and philosophy.

Wallenberg’s death helps Bogdanov to escape. Having been saved by the Estonian merchant seamen, he becomes the member of the crew. During the voyage on the Baltic Sea he moors to one of the islands named Favor. This island, according to Wallenberg, is the place of the hidden treasure. Bogdanov finds the chests full of diamonds and in 1993 returns to Petersburg in the guise of the Polish emigrant Kuptsevich. At present he may take vengeance on his enemies…

Conception

The script is based on the novel by Alexander Dumas «The Count of Monte Christo». It is a modern version of the book, the action of which takes place in 1982-1999 in Russia.

The famous adventure novel being perceived as an abstract reading, the script containing the Russian realities becomes very familiar and understandable to the spectators due to the modern atmosphere and life details.

Despite the fact that many screen versions have been already made of the novel «The Count of Monte Christo», the authors of the TV-series are not afraid of the analogies. They consider the modern interpretation of the classical plot to be the most important thing in the TV-series, which have been finely produced by the scriptwriter Michael Smolyanitsky, the film director Dmitry Svetozarov, the director of photography Alexander Ustinov, the film composer Andrey Sigle and, of course, all the TV-series cast.

The actors playing the leading parts have been faced with a difficult task set by the film director – they should have advanced throughout the TV-series in 14 years.

Ilya Shakunov, a Petersburg actor, plays the part of Alexander Bogdanov (Favorsky). «This is a story of the man who has undergone many severe trials; he has been betrayed by his friends and beloved. Having been put into prison, he sets himself the task of escaping and taking revenge on the people who have destroyed his life. At all times, in all countries you may find the people, who exercise their power to pursue their own selfish ends, who get the rivals out of the way using the information against them, betray the relatives. Finally they take the punishment for their betrayal – this has been brilliantly described in the novel by Dumas, this is finely shown in the TV-series being shot by Dmitry Svetozarov and this is very interesting for me as an actor. In my life I adhere to the principles of truth, therefore this role attracts me», says Ilya Shakunov.

The hero of Ilya Shakunov, as the fates decree, becomes the possessor of the billionth treasure; he starts a new life under an assumed name devoting his life to the just revenge. One should not draw an analogy with the modern oligarchs – the hero of the story has not intended to grow rich and rule the world. «A glut of wealth is only a nuance. The main character derives his strength not from the money; he has seized a chance being in prison, where he has become the real Count of Monte Christo», says Ilya Shakunov.

The book by Dumas in the hands of our hero is the final point of the TV-series. As in the novel of the famous writer, the story may be continued…

CAST

• Sergey Bekhterev (doctor Rappoportб doctor)
• Tara Amirkhanova (Masha)
• Valery Degtyar (Sychev)
• Yury Oskin (old warden)
• Alexander Lykov (Dolgushin)
• Nodar Mgaloblishvili (Wallenberg)
• Andrey Zibrov (Malyutin)
• Marina Makarova (Dolgushin’s colleague)
• Ilya Shakunov (Bogdanov)
• Leonid Nevedomsky (Maryagin)
• Anatoly Rudakov (new warden)
• Yury Kuznetsov (Kotov)
• Svetlana Schedrina (Malyutin's doughter)