The Genius Composer-Emigrant Rachmaninoff to Be Honored with a Biopic 0 15

KISA FILMS studio, in collaboration with SDL film company, has announced the start of work on a full-length biographical film "Rachmaninoff," reports the newspaper "Kultura."

The film will tell the dramatic fate of the great Russian composer and pianist, whose work became one of the symbols of domestic culture in the past century. The project is directed by Marusya Fomina, with the screenplay written by Alexander Rodionov, and the costumes designed by Ulyana Polyanskaya, known for her work on "The Master and Margarita."

The artistic director of the cinematography team is Yuri Nikogosov, who previously participated in the creation of the film "Actresses." To achieve a special color palette and the effect of volumetric, tactile imagery, the creators decided to shoot the film exclusively on film.

At the center of the plot is the musician's difficult journey: studying at the Moscow Conservatory, early success, painful rejection of his compositions, a deep creative crisis, and a subsequent return to art. This will be a story about inner fragility and incredible resilience, about how one can rise to new heights after a devastating fall. According to the directors' vision, viewers will see not just a chronicle of life, but a convincing example that even in the darkest despair, it is possible to find light.

The project authors aim to showcase the multifaceted personality of the composer: a brilliant virtuoso pianist, an innovator in composition, a conductor, and a patriot who longed for his homeland until his last days. The film will introduce the circumstances surrounding the birth of his most famous works and demonstrate how deeply personal experiences were transformed into musical images. Currently, the script is fully ready, casting for actors has begun, and locations are being selected in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novgorod, Voronezh region, and Crimea.

The production team also includes composer Savva Rozanov, cinematographer Yuri Nikogosov, production designer Maxim Maleev, editor Anna Krutiy, and sound designer Pavel Doreuli from "Studio Atmosphere." The release of the biographical drama is scheduled for 2028.

Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff (March 20, 1873, Semyonovo, Novgorod Governorate, Russian Empire — March 28, 1943, Beverly Hills, USA) was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor. He synthesized the principles of the St. Petersburg and Moscow compositional schools in his work and created his original style.