Sergei Sergeyevich Bodrov (russian: Сергей Сергеевич Бодров; December 27, 1971 – September 20, 2002), also known as Sergei Bodrov Jr., was a Russian actor who had lead roles in the films ''
Brother
A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...
'', ''
Prisoner of the Mountains
''Prisoner of the Mountains'' (russian: Кавказский пленник, ''Kavkazskiy plennik''), also known as ''Prisoner of the Caucasus'', is a 1996 Russian war drama film directed by Sergei Bodrov and written by Bodrov, Arif Aliyev and Bor ...
'', ''
East/West
''East/West'' (french: Est-Ouest; russian: Восток-Запад, Vostok-Zapad) is a 1999 drama film directed by Régis Wargnier, starring Sandrine Bonnaire, Oleg Menshikov, Catherine Deneuve and Sergei Bodrov Jr. It received generally positiv ...
'' and ''
Brother 2
''Brother 2'' (russian: Брат 2, translit=Brat 2) is a 2000 Russian crime film. It is the sequel to the 1997 film ''Brother''. Much of it is set in Chicago.
Plot
The film opens with Danila Bagrov being interviewed on television with two fr ...
''. He was the son of the Russian playwright, actor, director and producer
Sergei Bodrov
Sergei Vladimirovich Bodrov ( rus, Серге́й Влади́мирович Бодро́в, p=sʲɪrˈɡʲej bɐˈdrof; born June 28, 1948) is a Russian film director, screenwriter, and producer. In 2003 he was the President of the Jury at the 2 ...
. He died in the
Kolka–Karmadon rock ice slide
The Kolka–Karmadon rock-ice slide occurred on the northern slope of the Mount Kazbek massif in North Ossetia–Alania on 20 September 2002, following a partial collapse of the Kolka Glacier. It started on the north-northeast wall of Dzhimara ...
at the end of the second day of shooting of his film ''The Messenger''.
Early life
Childhood
Sergei Bodrov was born on December 27, 1971, in
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
. His father is a film director,
Sergei Bodrov
Sergei Vladimirovich Bodrov ( rus, Серге́й Влади́мирович Бодро́в, p=sʲɪrˈɡʲej bɐˈdrof; born June 28, 1948) is a Russian film director, screenwriter, and producer. In 2003 he was the President of the Jury at the 2 ...
, and his mother Valentina Nikolayevna was a fine art expert. Sergei Bodrov Jr. believed that "childhood is the most important and the most amazing time in life."
and what you'll become happens in the first sixteen years".
Various publications report that Bodrov wanted to become a garbageman and drive an orange car.
Bodrov wrote about his early years and events which influenced his worldview in a "Composition on the Theme: Eight Events which Influenced Me, or How I Grew Up to Be a Good Person."
Education
Sergei Bodrov attended the special
French-language
French ( or ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European family. It descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire, as did all Romance languages. French evolved from Gallo-Romance, the Latin spoken in Gaul, and more specifically in Nor ...
School No. 1265. In December 2012, a memorial plaque was installed in the school in his memory.
Bodrov wanted to enrol in the
Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography
The Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography (russian: Всероссийский государственный институт кинематографии имени С. А. Герасимова, meaning
''All-Russian State Institute of Cinemat ...
, but his father advised him that "cinema is a passion, and if you don't feel it you should either wait for it or forget about it forever."
Instead, in 1989 he enrolled in the art history program in the History Department of
Moscow State University
M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU; russian: Московский государственный университет имени М. В. Ломоносова) is a public research university in Moscow, Russia and the most prestigious ...
, graduating with Honors and remaining for postgraduate studies, although he already knew that he would not work in a museum or library.
In his own words, at the university, he "learned to see beauty in the simple things around us".
After becoming an actor and television host he completed and defended (in 1998) his graduate
thesis
A thesis ( : theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: ...
entitled "Architecture in Venetian
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
Painting" and received the
Candidate of Sciences
Candidate of Sciences (russian: кандидат наук, translit=kandidat nauk) is the first of two doctoral level scientific degrees in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States. It is formally classified as UNESCO's ISCED level 8, "do ...
degree.
In 1991, while still a student, Bodrov studied art in Italy, where he found work as a lifeguard and earned money to support his travels around the country.
When he was asked in an interview if his education was useful in his life, he answered: ''Of course. So you come to a city. What do you usually know about it? That there is a central square, some shops... And I know there is a painting in one of the museums and that you can spend the whole day in front of. And this day is added to your life.''
Career
Early roles
Sergei's first role as an actor was in ''Freedom is Paradise'' in 1989, directed by his father. He appeared on screen only for a few minutes, playing a minor lawbreaker who was waiting for a decision on his own fate while sitting next to the main hero of the film. During his university days, he also had a bit role as a bellhop in the 1992 movie ''White King, Red Queen''.
Prisoner of the Mountains
In 1995, his father travelled to
Dagestan
Dagestan ( ; rus, Дагеста́н, , dəɡʲɪˈstan, links=yes), officially the Republic of Dagestan (russian: Респу́блика Дагеста́н, Respúblika Dagestán, links=no), is a republic of Russia situated in the North C ...
for the filming of his movie ''
Prisoner of the Mountains
''Prisoner of the Mountains'' (russian: Кавказский пленник, ''Kavkazskiy plennik''), also known as ''Prisoner of the Caucasus'', is a 1996 Russian war drama film directed by Sergei Bodrov and written by Bodrov, Arif Aliyev and Bor ...
''. Bodrov asked to go with him, prepared to do any available work. Unexpectedly, he became one of the featured actors, playing the conscript Vanya Zhilin, partnered with
Oleg Menshikov
Oleg Evgenyevich Menshikov, PAR (russian: Оле́г Евге́ньевич Ме́ньшиков, link=no; born 8 November 1960) is a Russian actor, theatre director and occasional singer. He is the current artistic director of the Yermolova Thea ...
who played the regular soldier Alexey Ryapolov. Bodrov received an award for best actor jointly with Menshikov at the
Kinotavr
Kinotavr (russian: Кинотавр), also known as the Sochi Open Russian Film Festival is an open film festival held in the resort city of Sochi, Russia annually in June since 1991, until it was cancelled in the wake of the 2022 Russian invasio ...
cinema festival in
Sochi
Sochi ( rus, Со́чи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg) is the largest resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi River, along the Black Sea in Southern Russia, with a population of 466,078 residents, up to 600,000 residents in ...
.
Bodrov himself did not claim to be an actor: ''I always say everywhere: I'm not an actor, I'm not an actor, I'm not an actor. And I hear: "No, you're an actor". And I say that an actor is quite a different thing. Actors are different, it's a different temperament. A role for me is not a profession. It's something that you do.
''
Vzglyad
From October 1996 to August 1999, Bodrov was the host of the program ''
Vzglyad'' on
Channel One. He said that he left the show feeling it had given him a good schooling:
''I became acquainted with so many people, heard so many stories, read so many letters - it doesn't happen in other jobs. It had a very positive charge. Help two or three people and the telecast has done some good. But it has to be done responsibly.
''
In 1997 Sergei married Svetlana Mikhailova (author of the television projects "Wordsmiths" and "Canon"). In 1998 their daughter
Olga
Olga may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Olga (name), a given name, including a list of people and fictional characters named Olga or Olha
* Michael Algar (born 1962), English singer also known as "Olga"
Places
Russia
* Olga, Russia, ...
was born, followed in 2002 by a son, Alexander.
Brother
During the 1996 Sochi film festival, Sergei Bodrov made the acquaintance of director
Aleksei Balabanov
Aleksei Oktyabrinovich Balabanov (russian: Алeксeй Oктябpинoвич Балабанoв; 25 February 1959 – 18 May 2013) was a Russian film director, screenwriter, and producer, a member of European Film Academy. He started from c ...
, who invited him to the STW film studio. It was here that ''
Brother
A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...
'' was being filmed for release in 1997. Sergei played the starring role, Danila Bagrov. The movie was criticized by the media, accused of
racism
Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism ...
and
Russophobia (as a film made for foreign audiences). Bodrov himself assessed his character in the following way: ''I know that Danila is often reproached for being primitive, simple and inarticulate. And in part, I agree with that. But a metaphor connected with him forms in my mind: I imagine people in a primitive chaos, who sit in their cave before the fire and do not understand anything else in their life except for the responsibility to eat and to reproduce. And suddenly one of them stands up and utters very simple words about how it is necessary to stand up for their friends, to respect women, to defend one's brother.
''
The music to the movie was composed by the
Russian rock
Rock music became known in the Soviet Union in the 1960s and quickly broke free from its Western roots. According to many music critics, its "golden age" years were the 1980s (especially the era of perestroika), when the Soviet underground roc ...
band
Nautilus Pompilius
The chambered nautilus (''Nautilus pompilius''), also called the pearly nautilus, is the best-known species of nautilus. The shell, when cut away, reveals a lining of lustrous nacre and displays a nearly perfect equiangular spiral, although it ...
, which Sergei himself enjoyed listening to.
Despite some controversy, the movie received critical acclaim and won an award at the film festival in
Sochi
Sochi ( rus, Со́чи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg) is the largest resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi River, along the Black Sea in Southern Russia, with a population of 466,078 residents, up to 600,000 residents in ...
, a Special Jury Award and the
FIPRESCI
The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI, short for Fédération Internationale de la PRESse CInématographique) is an association of national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the world fo ...
Award at the international festival in
Turin
Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...
, the same awards in
Cottbus
Cottbus (; Lower Sorbian: ''Chóśebuz'' ; Polish: Chociebuż) is a university city and the second-largest city in Brandenburg, Germany. Situated around southeast of Berlin, on the River Spree, Cottbus is also a major railway junction with exten ...
, and the Grand Prix in
Trieste
Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into provi ...
. Bodrov received the award for Best Actor at the movie festivals in
Sochi
Sochi ( rus, Со́чи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg) is the largest resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi River, along the Black Sea in Southern Russia, with a population of 466,078 residents, up to 600,000 residents in ...
and
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
and got the "Golden Aries" prize.
The movie was regarded by many in Russia as culturally significant and for many of the younger generation, Bodrov's character Danila Bagrov became a hero and a role model.
Other roles
Over the course of 1998-99, Sergei starred in two relatively minor films, the first was in Pavel Pavlikovsky's movie, a joint UK-Russia production, ''The Stringer'', with British actress
Anna Friel
Anna Louise Friel (born 12 July 1976) is an English actress. Born in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, she has been acting professionally since age 13. Friel achieved fame with her portrayal of Beth Jordache on the British soap opera ''Brookside'' ( ...
. Bodrov played Vadik Chernyshov, an impoverished 'stringer', who dreams of filming something to interest the western news channels. Friel played the role of Helen, a British media executive, as the two begin a romance against the backdrop of the world of journalism, and cultural differences, in the romantic thriller. The second was in
Régis Wargnier
Régis Wargnier (; born 18 April 1948) is a French film director, film producer, screenwriter and film score composer. His 1992 film '' Indochine'' won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 65th Academy Awards. His 1995 '' A ...
's movie ''
East/West
''East/West'' (french: Est-Ouest; russian: Восток-Запад, Vostok-Zapad) is a 1999 drama film directed by Régis Wargnier, starring Sandrine Bonnaire, Oleg Menshikov, Catherine Deneuve and Sergei Bodrov Jr. It received generally positiv ...
'', in which Sergei played Sasha, a neighbour of the central couple in the film, Dr Golovin and his French wife Marie, in a communal apartment during the Stalin era.
In 2000, the movie ''
Brother 2
''Brother 2'' (russian: Брат 2, translit=Brat 2) is a 2000 Russian crime film. It is the sequel to the 1997 film ''Brother''. Much of it is set in Chicago.
Plot
The film opens with Danila Bagrov being interviewed on television with two fr ...
(Brat 2)'' was released, with Bodrov again playing Danila Bagrov. Critics attacked the movie as they had its predecessor, saying that it expressed racist ideas, threatened national security and insulted the Ukrainian and American nations.
Bodrov responded: ''What was important for us was not to say that all Americans are jerks, but the opposite, that we are not freaks. This is a fairly simple idea, so it is strange that not everyone understands it.
The Americans make movies about Russians where
Schwarzenegger as a policeman tears off a mafioso's wooden leg and drugs fall out of it, and bears are walking in the streets. In other words, we
ussiansare complete lame-brains. So why don't we have the right make a joke at the expense of the Americans?''
In 2001, Bodrov moved to California to take part in the shooting of his father's movie ''
The Quickie''. Sergei played Dima – the head of security for a rich American of Russian ancestry – Oleg (Mashkov). In Bodrov's free time during the filming of ''The Quickie'', he wrote the screenplay for his first movie ''
Sisters
A sister is a woman or a girl who shares one or more parents with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to ...
''. His father suggested the idea of the movie to him and Bodrov Jr wrote the screenplay in two weeks; four days later filming began. The heart of the movie is a story of two sisters – Sveta (thirteen years old) and Dina (eight), who become inadvertent victims of their father's criminal past. Sergei played a small part, in a role without an available actor.
The film opened on May 10, 2001. At a festival in Sochi, it received a Grand Prix award "for the best debut" and the young actresses received a jury award for their parts.
In the autumn of 2001, Bodrov became a host of the game show ''
Last Hero
''Last Hero'' (russian: Последний герой ''Poslednij geroj'') is the Russian version of the American reality show '' Survivor''.
The title of the Russian version of the show was suggested by Sergei Suponev. It premiered on 17 Nov ...
''. Sixteen people landed on an island near the coast of Panama and competed in various trials. The last participant to survive all the votes received the main prize of three million
rubles
The ruble (American English) or rouble (Commonwealth English) (; rus, рубль, p=rublʲ) is the currency unit of Belarus and Russia. Historically, it was the currency of the Russian Empire and of the Soviet Union.
, currencies named ''rub ...
. Bodrov conducted the game and provided the commentary. He gave his understanding of the telecast: ''I think that the subject of hunger and physical existence will emerge in front of them very seriously. But the true survival lies in how you're strong inside, how you can keep your humanity in inhuman conditions. And this is also related to me.''
The shooting of Balabanov's movie ''War'' began in the spring of 2001. Bodrov had a role of short duration (he played captain Medvedev). The opening night was in 2002. The movie got the "Golden Rose" award at the Kinotavr festival and Bodrov received the
Nika Award
The Nika Award (sometimes styled NIKA Award) is the main annual national film award in Russia, presented by the Russian Academy of Cinema Arts and Science, and seen as the national equivalent of the Oscars.
History
The award was established i ...
for the best supporting role.
''Bear's Kiss'' directed by his father Sergei Bodrov opened on November 28, 2002. Bodrov played Misha, a bear who mystically transforms into a person. Sergei's love interest in the film is played by
Rebecka Liljeberg
Rebecka Månstråle Liljeberg (born 13 May 1981) is a Swedish former actress who starred in the Swedish film '' Show Me Love'' (''Fucking Åmål'') (1998).
Early life and career
Rebecka was born in the town of Turinge, Sweden to an 18-year-old ...
.
The Messenger
In July 2002, Bodrov settled down to shoot his second film, with the working title ''The Messenger''. He characterized the movie in the following words: ''Philosophic-mystical parable about the life of two friends. They are romantics, travelers, and venturers. Of course, there will be bandits, hostages, in general, all that accompanies us in life. The movie is called "The Messenger" and I'm like a coffee in a carton in it: the author of a screenplay, stage manager and performer of the leading role.''
The film crew arrived in
Vladikavkaz
Vladikavkaz (russian: Владикавка́з, , os, Дзæуджыхъæу, translit=Dzæwdžyqæw, ;), formerly known as Ordzhonikidze () and Dzaudzhikau (), is the capital city of the North Ossetia-Alania, Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, Ru ...
in September, and on September 20 were filming the scenes in a women's penal colony in Vladikavkaz where they intended to shoot the scenes of the main character's return from the army. At approximately 7 p.m., filming stopped due to poor lighting conditions. Then an
ice slide occurred. A block of ice fell from
Mount Dzhimara
Mount Dzhimara or Jimara ( os, Джимарайы хох — ''Jimarayy khokh'', ka, ჯიმარა) is the second highest point of North Ossetia–Alania, a Russian republic, with an altitude of . It is located on the border between Russi ...
onto the
Kolka Glacier, bringing with it mud and large boulders. This mudflow covered Karmadon Gorge, where the film crew were working. A massive search and rescue operation proved fruitless. 135 people were killed, including Bodrov.
In popular culture
Reflecting Bodrov's statue as a cultural icon in Russia, there are several murals across the country, notably in
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
, with Bodrov's image from the film ''Brother''. There are also tours around Saint Petersburg to the filming locations of ''Brother''.
Filmography
See also
*
Darya Jurgens
Darya Georgievna Jurgens (russian: Дарья Георгиевна Юргенс) is a Russian actress most noted for her role in the film ''Brother 2'' as prostitute Marilyn / Dasha. Until 2003, she was known as Darya Lesnikova. She has had a l ...
*
Viktor Sukhorukov
Viktor Ivanovich Sukhorukov PAR (russian: Виктор Иванович Сухоруков; born 10 November 1951) is a Russian actor. He has appeared in more than 50 films and television shows since 1974. He starred in ''Happy Days'' (1991), w ...
References
External links
*
Sergei Bodrov Jr.Monument Sergei Bodrov Jr.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bodrov, Sergei Jr.
1971 births
2002 deaths
20th-century Russian male actors
20th-century Russian screenwriters
21st-century Russian male actors
21st-century Russian screenwriters
Male actors from Moscow
Moscow State University alumni
Recipients of the Nika Award
State Prize of the Russian Federation laureates
2000s missing person cases
Accidental deaths in Russia
Deaths in avalanches
Male screenwriters
Missing people
Missing person cases in Russia
Russian people of Buryat descent
Russian people of Mongolian descent
Russian film directors
Russian male child actors
Russian male film actors
Russian screenwriters
Russian television presenters
Soviet male child actors
Soviet male film actors