Feature film
The Savage Hunt of King Stakh
Дзікае паляванне караля Стаха
Valeri Rubinchik · 1980
Synopsis
At the turn of the century, Andrei Bielarecki, a young ethnographer who has come to study the legends of a remote corner of Polesia, settles in the dilapidated manor of the Marsh Firs. His mistress, Nadzieja Janoŭskaja, last of an old noble family, warns him that the house has more ghosts than living people: her family is cursed for the murder of King Stach, who is said to return to haunt the woods as a phantom hunter. The visitor sets out to uncover the secret of these apparitions.
Context
The film was shot in 1979 at the Belarusfilm studio, in two episodes, based on a tale by Uladzimir Karatkievich, who wrote the screenplay with the director; it was released in April 1980. The cinematography is by Tatiana Loguinova, the music by Evgueni Glebov, and Boris Plotnikov and Elena Dimitrova play the leading roles. Shown at Trieste in 1981, it was restored in the director's cut and released on video in the United States, where it is presented as a horror film steeped in folklore.
Who it is for
A feature film in Russian, in two episodes, of about two hours; a restored version exists on video with subtitles.
Prizes and reception
Golden Raven at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival, jury prize at the Montreal World Film Festival and best film at Mystfest.
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