Tėvas
Marat Sargsyan
Lithuania | 2012 | 60 min
Language : Lithuanian
Subtitles : English, French
Vidas Zenonas Antonovas has pride of place among the most interesting criminals in Soviet history. Better known as “The father of the Mafia”, among other things, he stole a million roubles from the State, hijacked a plane with its passengers, and spent 20 years in prison. Today, aged 71, he lives with his extended family of 10 children, 2 nephews and a new-born baby. A portrait of an explosive character.
Vidas Zenonas Antonovas takes pride of place among the most interesting criminals in Soviet history. Better known as the “father of the Mafia” among other things, he stole a million roubles from the state, hijacked a plane with its passengers and spent twenty years in prison. Today, aged 71, he lives in a remote country house surrounded by a large family of ten children, two nephews and a newborn baby. He has only one remaining obsession: to beat the record for reproductive longevity by still having children at this advanced age. Thanks to absolutely thrilling shots (including the recreation of the man’s arrest by the Russian police, with the kids playing the role of the “bad guys”...), this portrait of a man and his tribe avoids the “entomologist” vision that such a situation could have suggested. Instead, it becomes a tender and amusing reflection on life and its unpredictability. In using archive images to retrace the story of the protagonist and add depth to the account, Tevas shows the transformation of a thug who, by defying time and destiny, follows his insatiable desire to live.
Luciano Barisone
Trailer
