A Russian priest with front-row seats to Swan Lake? God works in mysterious pas de bourrée.
Father Alexander, a priest from Demidov in the Smolensk region, has a surprising secular passion: he never misses a ballet premiere at the Bolshoi or the Mariinsky. Although the Church doesn’t forbid such interests, his dual life raises the question of how an Orthodox spiritual life intersects with contemporary art.
Direction
Shabaev's patient observation lets contradictions breathe
Cinematography
Ballet's grace against Orthodox austerity—visual poetry
Director
Denis Shabaev
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The Bolshoi and Mariinsky remain symbols of Russian cultural prestige even as international touring collapsed post-2022; this priest's devotion carries different weight now.
Shabaev belongs to a wave of Russian documentarians exploring spiritual lives outside Moscow's bubble, often premiering at smaller festivals before wider recognition.
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