Russian Folklore, Inspired by CELESTIAL WIVES OF THE MEADOW MARI

We're beyond excited for tonight's premiere screening of The Celestial Wives of the Meadow Mari. Inspired by the Mari people, the film explores pagan folklore and culture. We got inspired ourselves to learn a little more about some of the most prominent characters in Russian folklore and have compiled them together in a handy-dandy list.

Probably just best to stay out of the woods, guys.

Baba-Yaga

Baba-Yaga might be one of the most famous of Russian folklore characters. Sometimes she is portrayed as being so old and bent over, her nose nearly touches the floor. She is said to have iron teeth (you know, for eating people) and a long, long nose (uh, for smelling?). She's too cool for a broomstick and instead choses to travel on a mortar and pestle. (A broom is probably easier, but to each their own.) She has a hut in the middle of the woods surrounded by a fence of bones--part fantastic decorating (bone goes with everything) and part to scare away intruders. But don't worry--she isn't all bad. Sometimes she's actually helpful. Sometimes.

Hide your sisters, hide your wives, hide your daughters. 

Koschei the Deathless

You may be thinking to yourself, what's so bad about being deathless? Sure, Koschei can't be killed by normal means. That's awesome! Right? Well, Koeschei also has a habit of kidnapping heroes' wives and otherwise being a nuisance to women. Not cool! Except, in order to kill him, you have to find his soul, which he keeps separate from his body for safe keeping. Where is it? Oh, it's just inside a needle, which is in an egg. And that egg is inside a duck and the duck is inside a hare. And the hare is inside an iron chest. But just to make it even harder, that chest is buried under a tree. A tree on an island in the middle of the ocean, that is!

Seriously. We want our own Humpbacked Pony, please and thank you.

Konyok Gorbunok

Konyok Gorbunok or the Humpbacked Pony comes from a famous Russian poem of the same name, written in the early 1800s. Okay, it may not be as old as some other Russian folklore, but it's just as awesome. And plus, there's a pony. The story goes, Ivan the Fool is gifted a pony with two humps on his back and told that this pony will be a loyal and lifelong companion. Ivan is pretty stoked because he's always wanted a friend. He and the Humpback Pony end up going on a magical adventure together. Now we want our own Humpback Pony friend.

So effin' cute! Uh, we didn't mean to swear. HONEST.

Domovoi

A domovoi is a little house spirit. How cute, right? (We want one!) They're sometimes portrayed as being small and covered in hair all over and other sometimes have little horns. A domovoi is considered the guardian of the house and will often help out with tasks like laundry and cleaning. (We really want one!) He will do no evil unless provoked by an ill-kept house,profane language, or neglect. (Uh, that's okay. We don't need one after all.)

Totally just like The Little Mermaid for guys.

Vodyanoy 

Because we know the dudes out there all dream about being a mermaid ("Mer-man! Mer-MAN!") as much as the ladies do, we'll end with the Vodyanoy, a male water spirit. Tales tell of him appearing as an old man with a greenish beard, long hair, and a body covered in fish scales, algae, and muck. That might not sound that scary, but he's been known to cause quite a bit of trouble when angered: breaking dams, washing out bridges, oh and drowning people. And if he isn't drowning people, he's dragging them down to his underwater dwelling to be his slaves.

We're hoping that you've been inspired by this little--so little!--taste of Russian folklore to get out there and do some reading on your own. Oh, and definitely check out Celestial Wives of the Meadow Mari.

CELESTIAL WIVES OF MEADOW MARI Screening Times:

• Wednesday, Sept 11th, 7:00 PM TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX 4
• Thursday, Sept 12th, 9:15 PM TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX 2
• Saturday, Sept 14th, 9:30 AM SCOTIABANK 8

CELESTIAL WIVES OF THE MEADOW MARI: Press Round Up

Director Alexey Fedorchenko's Celestial Wives of the Meadow Mari, now playing as part of the Toronto International Film Festival's Vanguard Programme, has earned some delightfully positive reviews.

At the Toronto Standard, Alan Jones remarks that the film's theme argues "femininity is more than a target of objectification."

Dan Fainaru from Screen Daily shares a similar observation, noting that the women in the film seem to have been "chosen not for their beauty but for the lively energy emanating from their faces and body language."

"Fedorchenko adds a sense of magic and gentle humour to this cavalcade of idiosyncrasy," says Patrick Gamle at Cine-Vue, adding "the mood never fails to be anything less than cheerfully curious."

Jordan Mintzer at The Hollywood Reporter moves beyond the narrative and praises the film's "impressive technical package," singling out the "gorgeous landscape imagery by cinematographer Shandor Berkeshi" and Timofei Shestakov's "nuanced sound design."

Although the film could be seen as "little more than a series of disconnected vignettes, Film Wonk's Glenn B. "found it to be a master class in short-form storytelling." He feels that "in its treatment of fiction that the film absolutely shines." Finally, he says, "To put it simply, this film is exhilarating – and prone to moments of staggering poignancy."

See, delightfully positive, just like we told you! Celestial Wives of the Meadow Mari is screening at this year's Festival and you'll miss out on all of its wondrous, magical qualities if you don't go see it. So go see it!

CELESTIAL WIVES OF THE MEADOW MARI Screening Times:

Wednesday, Sept 11th, 7:00 PM TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX 4

Thursday, Sept 12th, 9:15 PM TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX 2

Saturday, Sept 14th, 9:30 AM SCOTIABANK 8

CELESTIAL WIVES OF THE MEADOW MARI Director Profile: Alexey Fedorchenko

Director Alexey Fedorchenko began his film career in a most peculiar way: by not. Initially earning a degree in economics in his hometown of Yekaterinburg, Russia, it was years later that he started working in the documentary facility of Sverdlovsk Studios and then in the screenwriting department of the Russian Institute of Cinematography. So it only makes sense that Fedorchenko began his career making short documentaries. 

For his first feature film, First on the Moon (2005), Fedorchenko combined his experience with documentary with the fantastical to end up with a "mockumentary" about the the "first" landing on the Moon in the 1930s by the Soviets. Shot in gorgeous black and white, Fedorchenko described the story as "something of an homage to the generation of our fathers and grandfathers, including their honesty, their genuine belief in an ideal". The film was celebrated by critics both in Russia and around the world and went on to win a handful of awards, including one from the Venice Film Festival. Two short clips from First on the Moon can be viewed here. 

Fedorchenko has been quoted as saying that "all fictional films are fairytales, fairytale for adults, done in different genres." Silent Souls (2010), Fedorchenko's second feature film, holds true to this. Silent Souls was a road movie based on short story and rich in the folklore and traditions of the Meyra people. Silent Souls impressed countless critics, including Roger Ebert, who commented that the "profound and immensely touching film in only 75 perfect minutes achieves the profundity of an epic." It was considered a frontrunner for the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and went on to win the Golden Osella for Cinematography. You can watch the trailer below: 

Not quite ready to leave Russian folklore behind, Fedorchenko further explores this theme in Celestial Wives of the Meadow Mari, screening at this year's Toronto International Film Festival. Working again with the same screenwriter from Silent Souls, Fedorchenko wove together 23 vignettes about love, beauty, and female sexuality. Words really don't even begin to describe this magical film, so we urge you to watch the trailer. Even if you've watched it already, watch it again. You know you want to:

CELESTIAL WIVES OF MEADOW MARI Screening Times:

• Wednesday, Sept 11th, 7:00 PM TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX 4
• Thursday, Sept 12th, 9:15 PM TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX 2
• Saturday, Sept 14th, 9:30 AM SCOTIABANK 8

CELESTIAL WIVES OF THE MEADOW MARI Trailer and Poster

Do you have any idea what is going on in this trailer for Celestial Wives of the Meadow Mari? Yeah, we don't either and we wouldn't have it any other way. Director Alexey Fedorchenko crafts a fantastical world rich in pagan folklore, fertility, and female sexuality in the 23 vignettes that make up this surreal film. When it screened at the Rome Film Festival last winter, The Hollywood Reporter said, "Picture Beasts of the Southern Wild in the snowcapped Urals, with two-dozen female characters whose names all start with the letter "O," and with enough bugged out sexcapades to earn a slot on John Waters’ DVD shelf, and you’ll get a brief idea of what’s in store." The review went on to say that the outrageous sex scenes may be enough to elevate the film to cult status. If we weren't excited enough before, we are now. Here's the poster, as if you needed more convincing:

Celestial Wives of the Meadow Mari will be playing at this year's Toronto International Film Festival as part of the Vanguard Programme. You can find out more information about the film on the Festival website. Screening times are below:

• Wed Sept 11, TIFF Bell Lightbox 4, 7:00PM
• Thurs Sept 12, TIFF Bell Lightbox 2, 9:15PM
• Sat Sept 14, Scotialbank 8, 9:30AM