Introduction: Behind the Scenes of the Masterpiece

My film follows the entire journey of Tarkovsky’s “NOSTALGHIA,” shot in Italy by the great Russian director. Through this work, I attempted to give an image of the auteur and the situations that appear in the film. In particular, my objective was to capture key moments and coordinate them with one another. Above all, I focused on the instances when the great director comes into contact with the performers one by one.

The Working Method of the Russian Director

Through this documentary, I sought to show how Tarkovsky transmitted his experience and skill to the actors. Indeed, he was always in thorough pursuit of the perfection of the shot—a characteristic that appears in all his films. For this reason, I followed the protagonists of the set behind the scenes of “Nostalghia.”

The Central Themes of the Film

At the same time, I also addressed the very themes of the film: namely anguish, lack of understanding, the difficulty in communicating and, not least, solitude.

Portraying the Man and the Poet

Finally, the most difficult part for me was highlighting the man and the poet Tarkovsky. Consequently, through my images, I wanted to describe his innate, immense capacity for making cinema. Step by step, I followed the auteur as he grappled with his cinematic work.

The Fundamental Element: The Ritual Song “Kumushki”

A crucial element of the film is certainly the ritual song “Kumushki,” performed by Olga Fedoseevna Sergeeva. This song is linked to the Slavic rite of Ivan Kupala. Moreover, it represents not only a sonic backdrop but also a thematic bridge between nostalgia and the director’s poetics. Its importance is explored in depth in the Complete Ethnomusicological Study of the Song “Kumushki.”