Directors Nick Read & Mark Franchetti on 'Bolshoi Babylon'

On 17th January, 2013, Sergei Filin, artistic director of the prestigious Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, was walking home after a day’s work when he was brutally attacked with acid by an unknown assailant. He suffered third-degree burns, damaging his eyesight that left her permanently blind on one eye. This notorious attack rocked Russia and the Bolshoi forever, causing scandal, paranoia and hostility among its 3000 employees.

“We wanted to ask the question ‘to what extent is this a mirror of Russian society?’”, proclaims director Mark Franchetti. “It was a very traumatic time for the company and the theatre was this unique symbol of Russian culture, but then why does it attract so much intrigue, plotting, rivalry and backstabbing?”

At the time of the attack, Russian Academy of Theatre Arts graduate Vladimir Urin was director of the Bolshoi Ballet and allowed co-directors Nick Read and Mark Franchetti, and their film crew, full and uncensored access backstage – a first for the esteemed theatre. Franchetti, a Moscow-based correspondent, is no stranger to Russian scandal having previously produced primetime documentaries like Terror in Moscow and Britain’s Most Wanted, which examined the death of Russian officer Alexander Litvinenko. Franchetti teamed up with BAFTA-nominated filmmaker Read to develop this candid and unique documentary, Bolshoi Babylon.

“We wanted to show what life was really like backstage at the Bolshoi, but the hardest thing was finding the access and sustaining it,” explains Franchetti. “We were able to go to the Bolshoi whenever we wanted without getting in their way but we didn’t know what story we were going to get.” Although the crew were admitted access to all areas, its director Urin was clear about one demand. “There was no one we couldn’t speak to; nowhere we couldn’t go. The only thing that he asked for in return was that we be fair and balanced”, says co-director Read.

Whilst both filmmakers were granted an unadulterated exploration of the Bolshoi, it was natural that some employees were apprehensive following the attack on Filin and the wariness that followed. “We approached this endeavour as observational filmmakers and spent a lot of the time winning the trust of the contributors without a camera”, recounts Read. “But we were determined to show ballet from a different perspective in a way that perhaps others filmmakers hadn’t. We wanted to create a 3D portrait of, not just the Bolshoi, but of them as individuals.”

However, the theatre’s most disreputable individual was not as easy to gain access to. “Sergei Filin suffered this shocking, appalling injury that I wouldn’t wish upon anybody so obviously he had more important issues to deal with than being followed by a camera crew,” recalls Franchetti. It was during this time that Filin was still receiving his intensive rehabilitation treatment in Germany. “We really only got that interview in the 11th hour,” says Read, “he’s quite a divisive character and we genuinely wanted to tell his side of the story.”

Although Bolshoi Babylon focuses mainly on Filin, Urin and their tempestuous relationship, the film also emphases the demanding professional and personal lives of its dancers – many regarded as some of the best in the world. “What makes the Bolshoi unique is that all 3000 people are dedicated to making this place special. They talk about the stage in almost religious terms; where dancers come to worship”, says Read. The theatre’s employees – made up of dancers, choreographers, costume designers, assistants et al. – later attended an exclusive theatre of Bolshoi Babylon in Moscow during post-production. “Whilst some of them admitted it was a very painful watch, they were all very respectful of our integrities because we were in deep admiration of their art form and performances,” Read adds.

Oscar-winning filmmaker of Man on Wire (2008) and Searching for Sugar Man (2012), Simon Chinn, executive produces Bolshoi Babylonalongside Russian filmmaker Maxin Pzodorovkin. “Having Simon on board is the dream of any documentary filmmaker,” says Franchetti. “There were many times where we thought we were done and he would say ‘you’re not quite there’ and would thankfully push us that extra mile.” Read adds, “He has more experience of making feature documentaries than any other producer in the UK. He’s a very wise man who ultimately helped us achieve our ambitions.”

Bolshoi Babylon received its world premiere as part of the Official Selection at the 2015 Toronto Film Festival. As well as exploring the history of this world famous theatre, the film offered viewers an incite into the extraordinary, and often unnoticed, world of ballet. “Ballet is a tough world: it’s an extremely demanding profession that requires extreme sacrifice; you only have 20 years to make it with huge competition,” claims Franchetti. “This career depends on the artistic take on the single man who decides to give you the part or not.”