May 30, 2024

"Limonov" Biopic Premieres at Cannes


"Limonov" Biopic Premieres at Cannes
Ben Whishaw in character as punk writer Eduard Limonov.  Festival de Cannes

A film adaptation of Eduard Limonov's infamous memoir-novel It's Me, Eddie (Eto ya, Edichka), by acclaimed director Kirill Serebrennikov, premiered at Cannes Film Festival. The film stars English actor Ben Whishaw as Limonov, a controversial Russian writer and political figure who came to prominence in the 1980s while living in exile in France. The film also takes inspiration from Limonov, a 2011 biographical novel about Limonov by French journalist Emmanuel Carrère. 

Limonov's vivid, often scandalous novels illustrate his life, from his youth as a countercultural punk in Moscow, to his travels in France and the United States, where he experimented with gender and sexuality. It's Me, Eddie was published in France in 1979 and in Russia in 1991, where it has since sold over a million copies. 

Kirill Serebrennikov is one of Russia's most prominent directors. His film Leto (2018), which depicted the Leningrad rock music scene of the 1980s, also competed at Cannes. 

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This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

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The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.

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