Born in 1994, he has spent the last 13 years being inspired by Berlin’s urban space. His artistic work focuses on the dynamics between chaos and order, destruction and construction, and the ensuing interwoven layers.
What was your starting point for „Stadtmuseum – МОЙ РАЙ“?
„The movie marks a crucial change in my body of work. Since I had a more active approach in my urban practices, I learned during my years of art school studies how challenging it is to be an efficient, informal actor in the cityscape. In those years, my friends and I experimented with urban interventions that could be interpreted as a loud scream for REAL participation in our city. Eventually, through ‚trial-and-error,‘ we had to understand how the transformation of cities and their futures is structured. Feeling powerless, I retreated and recollected various pictures, videos, ideas, and emotions that I finally wanted to merge into a work of art. After finishing my thesis, I decided to break down the text into my first film, which I hope will endure as a statement of my subjective experience and resonate in the minds of the spectators.“
Do you have a favorite moment in the film? Which one and why this one in particular?
„My favorite moment is the ending sequence. It reaches its climax as the culmination of the accumulated observations that lead to this dream sequence. I remember the voice recording for this part as the most emotional for me, where I found myself shedding some tears while concluding the film.“
What do you like about the short form?
„I appreciate the short form because it demands the ability to distill a topic to its fundamental pillars, making it easier for me to maintain a dense structure. Born during the emergence of internet media, my way of thinking and perceiving audiovisual works and content has naturally adapted to my temporal context. With my limited attention span, I find it easier to consume and enjoy tightly structured works rather than extensive ones that require a longer commitment.“
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PRESS REVIEWS
„Collagenartig reihen sich die Bilder in Boris Dewjatkins Kurzfilm aneinander, getrieben von einem gestochen formulierten Voice Over, das belehrt, reflektiert und theorisiert. Entstanden ist eine rastlose, dokumentarisch-essayistische Aufarbeitung des Lebensraums “Stadt” als offenes Kunstwerk, als Rezipient und Produzent, formend und formbar. Eine extrovertierte Mischung aus wackeligen Aufnahmen, Anekdoten und verzerrten Stimmen inszeniert die Stadt als Museum der radikalen, unvorhersehbaren Art.“
mention by Paul Seidel for Rieks Filmkritiken
„Manchmal erfordert es genaues Hinschauen, um zu sehen, dass etwas, das auf den ersten Blick Müll oder Krakelei erscheint, tatsächlich etwas anderes ist. Eher selten ist es Kunst, öfter eine Nachricht oder ein Statement. Wie Boris Dewjatkins filmisches Debüt, das zuerst erscheint wie eine dieser kruden, kalkulierten Collagen alter Filmschnipsel, die Doku genannt werden und im Berlinale Forum laufen. Aber Dewjatkins konziser Konzeptfilm läuft zum Glück bei den Berlinale Shorts.“
review by Lida Bach for moviebreak
„City Museum/My Paradise by Boris Dewjatkin (Germany), a paean to the chaos of Berlin city life and its resistance to the order imposed by society.“
mention by Laurence Boyce for Cineuropa
„many other films have personal references: “Stadtmuseum” by Boris Devjatkin, who explores Berlin in his own way“
mention by Doreen Kaltenecker for Testkammer
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ETC.
reactions on letterboxd
Berlinale Shorts 