On October 4, 2021, the KARO 11 “Oktyabr” cinema center, main cinema of Russia, hosted the premiere of the feature film “Quarantine” (Russian: «КАРАнтин»; “KARAntin”) directed by Diana Ringo. The lead role was played by the famous theater and cinema artist, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation Anatoly Bely. The film crew presented the movie. The event was organized by KARO.Art. Diana Ringo is not only director and screenwriter of the film – she is also composer, editor, producer and performer of one of the main roles of the film. 

The film “Quarantine” was received with great interest. Among the audience were many famous cinema and theater personalities, including Wolfgang Cerny, Yana Krainova, Radda Novikova, Nadia Gorshkova, Grigory Danziger, Alexey Sharanin. 

The film depicts Felix, a man who escapes from the terrible reality by hiding in a bunker. He is a survivor of a global catastrophe and is trying to write a diary, trying to rethink what happened. Throughout the film, there is the idea that his imprisonment is a punishment for his sins and for the sins of mankind, which has succumbed to evil, and has taken over the whole world. 

The scenes with Anatoly Bely (he plays Felix in the film) in a bunker, with chiaroscuro lighting reminiscent of Rembrandt’s paintings, contrasts with his memories of spellbinding nature. The creative cinematography is complemented perfectly by a brilliant musical score. Diana Ringo is a virtuoso pianist and composer and wrote all the music for the film herself. At the premiere, she said that she was inspired by classical music, the works of Ennio Morricone and soundtracks of the 1980s. Actor Alexander Obmanov impressively played the role of Kirill, Felix’s friend. There are many sharp, witty and memorable lines in the film. 

Many viewers expressed admiration for director Diana for her courage, as she asked questions in the film that other cultural figures try to ignore. Almost 2 years have passed since the restrictions on freedoms were announced, and life in all countries has changed dramatically. However, not a single film has been made during this time that would address these issues. The film “Quarantine” examines the problem of the transition to totalitarianism from a philosophical angle, through it the thought that if people will weakly submit to evil and do not resist the restrictions of their inalienable rights, they will be destroyed or will live in hell. 

The film was the result of serious reflections on the surrounding reality and free creative imagination. During the meeting, Diana said that the idea arose in 2020 when she was living in Vienna, Austria and a lockdown was announced. If people remain silent and take a compromise position with evil, then it is very likely that the future in the bunker will be considered fortunate, and the world will be completely destroyed. The name Felix refers to the word happiness – but can a person be considered happy, who remains alone with his conscience for centuries? Diana said that it was interesting for her to think about a person who is in total isolation, about his sense of hopelessness, who is gradually losing his mind. In essence, the film is about the choice between good and evil, about the choice that each of us has. And Felix, having made his choice, remains in his dungeon. Does he have any hope of going back to the real world? And what kind of world will it be? 

The film has elements of experimental cinema, and is created in an interesting format – there are no clichés and no flirting with the audience. This film is not only a work of cinematic art, but is also a serious civil act. 

The film is a joint production of Finland and Russia, as the film’s director and producer Diana Ringo is a Finnish citizen, and the film was partially filmed in Finland. “Quarantine” is Diana Ringo’s first feature film. 

Photo report from the premiere – https://imgur.com/gallery/96ik47f