The Duel
A documentary about Christopher Dennis, who dressed as Superman and posed for photographs on Hollywood Boulevard for twenty years.
Vladislav Kozlov
Casts & Crew
Also Directed by Vladislav Kozlov
This minimalist B/W silent short film depicts the last days of the famous film-icon of the 1920's, Rudolph Valentino. Having unsuccessfully undergone an operation to remove appendicitis Valentino develops peritonitis and slips into coma. While in the depths of his subconscious, Valentino has surrealistic visions of the last days of his life. Though he is passionately idolized by millions of women around the world, he is deeply unhappy in his private life. Valentino is deeply and hopelessly in love with his wife, who does not reciprocate his feelings. Though he has been dubbed "The Great Lover" and "The Sheik", he becomes submerged in obscurity and loneliness during his life. As he sees images from his life flash before him, he understands that fate, having given him fame and glory, has also taken from him the dearest and most important things in the life.
Christopher Dennis AKA Hollywood Superman tragically dies. While his close friends and relatives are giving eulogy at his funeral at the Forest Lawn cemetery, the story takes us back to his past when he was disowned by his father as a rebellious child and grew up in orphanages in 1970's America. After turbulent childhood, drug addiction creeps in, but Chris fights it by choosing the good side as he becomes the first costume character on the walk of fame and works as Hollywood Superman making tourists smile. Portraying a kind and helping Superman helps Chris to stay afloat. After 25 years many changes happen, not just to Chris but to the whole country, and Superman character is out of favor as Joker becomes the modern hero. Haunted by the inner addiction demons of his past, Chris loses his Superman costume and spirals into homelessness. His last wish to be buried in his Superman costume is fulfilled.
Paolo is dying of cancer. His grandson Max is adamant about saving his beloved “Papa” with cryonics - in hopes that science will allow resurrecting the dead in the near future. Max’s mother, a single, alcoholic, wandering Catholic gets in the way of this salvation plan...
The year is 1926. While on tour promoting his latest movie "Son Of The Sheik", Rudolph Valentino, the Hollywood silent screen icon, suffers a sudden collapse and is hospitalized at the New York Polyclinic Hospital. After the emergency surgery, Valentino loses his grip of reality and sees visions of his past life in Hollywood in a perspective of a coma - as a silent film screening at a movie palace, the magical portal between reality and illusion, between life and eternity... Dubbed "The Great Lover" around the world, Valentino reigns the screen as a dashing and virile "Sheik" and drives his female audience in hysteria. Off screen, however, his private life is a complete failure - the Sheik cannot satisfy even his own domineering wife. Snapping back to reality, Valentino finds himself abandoned, alone and stricken with illness.
The documentary "The Bridge" is telling the story about the friendship between Americans and Russians and how art can bring people together despite global politics.
Laura, an alcoholic single mother believes in God but her faith is only nominal. Her trans-humanist son Max, who is convinced that soon the scientists will be able to resurrect dead people, tries to freeze his dying grandfather (Laura's father) in order to save him. These events shake Laura's life to the very core and help her to renew her faith and resurrect her spirit.