A fifth-grader from Orsha shoots amateur film masterpieces

A fifth-grader from Orsha, along with his grandparents, creates real masterpieces of amateur cinema. The correspondent of "Zvyazda" visited the creative family and participated in the filming of a cartoon and a popular science film.

Nikita Myadzvedzeu, a 5th-grade student at Gymnasium No. 1 in Orsha, is a happy person. He has a hobby, and he is very lucky with his grandparents. Eduard and Tatyana Navahonskiye devote a lot of time to their grandson.

We met them in Polotsk, where the first amateur film festival-competition named after Yuri Tarich "I Shoot Movies" was held. Nikita Myadzvedzeu presented his cartoon to the jury, which included film studio employees and art critics. The work was highly praised, and he was awarded a diploma. The young author said that he could not have made a good cartoon without the help of his relatives: his grandmother helped with the voice-over, and his grandfather taught him how to edit the film…

I asked to visit this creative family.

Directors and Local Historians

Tatyana teaches a technical discipline at a college. Eduard is a pensioner. He is an engineer by education, graduated from the Mogilev Machine-Building Institute, worked at enterprises, in the city executive committee, and was involved in public activities and photography.

"I started making films in 1971 and video films in 1988. My author's archive contains over 300 films. I have a website where you can see my films, as well as my grandson's works," says Eduard.

Another of his passions is local history: he not only makes films about his beloved Orsha but is also interested in the rich history of the city, especially the exploits of his compatriots during the Great Patriotic War.

Here are some interesting montage photos: next to a photo of Orsha taken during the occupation, there are modern shots of the same streets and houses. His grandson helped his grandfather with this work too.

We watch films together. In one of them, Nikita talks about how the family loves to bake cakes together, do construction work at the dacha, how Nikita's mother cooks excellently and teaches her son, does sports with him, and helps him study well…

- I not only know some tools now, but I also work with a screwdriver, hammer, saws for wood and metal, files, a needle file, and a rasp. And with an axe – only in the presence of adults. I made a bench and wooden weapons for myself. I enjoyed building the veranda. And we started with the foundation, then came the brickwork, the roof, and the interior finishing… During the holidays, besides work and rest in Orsha, where we have a small wooden house, we often travel around the country, – says the schoolboy.

He knows about his native city no less than the old-timers. If a guide is needed, the boy can be asked to talk about the ancient city on the Dnieper without hesitation.

- My grandfather and I visited all the museums in Orsha, including the museum of the locomotive depot and the search club "Rusichi", and met with local historian Alexander Shinkevich. We try not to miss important events in our city. We film them, and then post them on the website, where I also have my own page. One of these events was the celebration of the 940th anniversary of Orsha, – the gymnasium student continues.

Nikita also has a laureate diploma from an international competition of video films dedicated to the past Olympics in Sochi in his collection of victories. The competition was organized by the virtual branch of the world-famous Russian Museum in St. Petersburg.

- Nikita chose several paintings by Russian and Soviet artists about sports from the collection of the Russian Museum for the theme, plus I have relevant badges. So we "diluted" our film with various video segments about sports. As a result, my grandson took 1st place in his age group! We went to St. Petersburg for the award ceremony as a group of four: Nikita, me, Tatyana, and her student, who also received a diploma. It was pleasant to participate in such a prestigious creative "Olympics", – says Eduard.

How We Filmed a Movie

Nikita can talk for hours about his hobbies. We watched his cartoons and popular science films together. The boy opens special programs on the computer so quickly that I sometimes got lost. It turned out that, among other things, the guy is also a programmer!

- My younger daughter, his aunt, who lives in Minsk, visits us periodically. She taught Nikita to understand programming and to develop programs himself, albeit simple ones so far, - said Tatyana.

Then I was shown a microscope, with which Nikita makes films. I was even trusted to take a few shots, and then we decided to make a film about water together.

Under the microscope, we look at drops of water: tap water, boiled water, store-bought water... Drink store-bought water, people! Because even in a drop of boiled water under a microscope, Nikita and I saw such "cyclops" that we were horrified.

We also shot a cartoon together, all four of us. It's not very difficult: a digital camera on a tripod, a "character" - a toy car, for example. Press the button, move the car a little, take another picture... In my opinion, the most difficult part is editing the frames using special programs. But the "owners" of the family film studio say that editing films is very simple.

Who will support the talents?

Nikita's grandfather sincerely believes that the Soviet "school" of amateur photography and cinema should be revived:

- Perhaps it is worth finding ways to work with young talents who are passionate about video shooting and show promise. For example, at Belarusian State University, based on the "Brigantina" camp, a competitive selection is carried out throughout the republic among children who are passionate about mathematics, computer science, physics, and so on. And during their stay at this camp, BSU teachers conduct classes with children, using various forms of teaching. Why not conduct classes on the nuances of shooting, directing, cinematography, and editing with schoolchildren at the same "Brigantina"?

Young people now have mobile phones and digital cameras, which can also be used to shoot video. Perhaps a film competition should be announced in the republic among this category. Similar competitions are held in Russia. I am sure that among the contestants, we will be able to find promising children with whom it is worth working further.

Alexander Pukshansky, "Zviazda"