Oleg e as Artes Raras

We are back in the Hermitage but unlike the swirling, continually moving camera of "Russian Ark", Andres Duque's camera hardly moves at all, for the subject now is not the art on display but the small, strange-looking old man who has entered the long hallway and is regaling us with a tale of how he braved the snow to get there. He is Oleg Karavaychuk, the great composer and pianist and it really is a pleasure to meet him.

Karavaychuk was almost 90 when this lovely documentary was made and he died shortly afterwards. He may have been a recognized musical genius in Russia and yet he was someone most Russians would not recognize on the street, (Mubi describes him as looking as if he had stepped out of a novel by Gogol). A great raconteur and a true eccentric he was, of course, the best guide to his own life and music and he makes for wonderful company. However, there is also a touch of the 'Grey Gardens' about Duque's film which might make it uncomfortable viewing for some; was it Oleg's genius or his eccentricity that hooked Duque? But then does it matter? Here is a man the world needed to meet and hopefully this film will receive the widest possible distribution, at least on the art-house circuit. I found it, and Oleg, really quite wonderful.

I just had the great pleasure to watch this film in Madrid. I had no idea what to expect. The film is both beautiful and poetic and gives its main character the stage. Oleg Karavaychuk is a rare character, an eccentric in all the best forms possible. The film moves from monologues to piano pieces and captures a bizarre world inhabited by one man. There are glimpses of a luxurious past now lost to ruin and memories. Andres Duque, the director, treats everything with a great sensitivity and respect. The combination of the two artists is exquisite. This is not mainstream but a must for art lovers and people who like to take a trip into a strange and fascinating world.