House of Fools

Colour, 35 mm
Russia, France, 2002, 104 min
Section: Horizons - Awarded films

Synopsis

A hospital for the physically and mentally disabled finds itself in the battle zone during the first Chechnya War (1996). Its patients, sensing nothing amiss, carry on their routine life. The obese Vika complains about everything and everyone, the attractive patient Janna surrounds herself with images of her dream “bridegroom” Bryan Adams. Then the inmates suddenly find that the staff have vanished while explosions echo outside. The building is invaded by Chechen soldiers. Janna becomes attached to the actor Ahmed who offers his hand in marriage as a joke. Meanwhile, a Russian captain sells the body of one of his fighters to field commander Vachid with whom he had fought in Afghanistan. In the morning a bloody battle begins, a helicopter crashes in the courtyard and the Chechens flee. The house is occupied by Russians and its inhabitants are faced with further devastation. The staff eventually return and assumes an atmosphere of normality. The Russians search for Chechen soldiers and arrest Vachid, while Ahmed mingles with the patients, safe in the knowledge that they won’t betray him. Janna returns to her dreams of Bryan. Seemingly, there is no great difference between the madness of fools and soldiers. Venice 2002: Grand Jury Prize.

About the director

Andrei Konchalovsky (b. 1937) debuted with The First Teacher (Pervy uchitel, 1965), which was followed by the banned film Asya’s Happiness (1966-1986) and the adaptations A Nest of Gentlefolk(Dvoryanskoye gnyezdo, 1969) and Uncle Vanya (Dyadya Vanya, 1970), the musical A Lover´sRomance (Romans o vlyublyonnykh, 1974) and the epic Siberiade (1978). He then worked in the USA where he made a name for himself with the following films: Maria’s Lovers (1984), Runaway Train (1985), Duet for One (1986), Shy People (1987), Tango and Cash and Homer and Eddie (both 1989). In his native country he made the coproduction about Stalin The Inner Circle (1992), followed by a continuation of Asya’s story Ryaba My  Chicken (Kurochka Ryaba, 1994). He has directed plays, operas and ballets both at home and in Paris, Milan and New York. He has also won a number of prestigious domestic and international prizes.