Kashpirovskiy. Under The Spell

synopsis

The 1980s. The end of the Soviet era. In addition to Mikhail Gorbachev, the crumbling socialist monolith has another legend. His name is Anatoly Kashpirovsky. This surreal exploration of the life of a hypnotist, healer, magician and conjurer paints a portrait of a half-forgotten star of Eastern Bloc television. Operating on women without anaesthetics and persuading the Chechen leader Shamil Basayev to release 1,500 prisoners – these are just some of the stunts that captivated millions of citizens hungry for miracles amidst the wasteland of the impending collapse of perestroika and glasnost. In the new era of the internet, Kashpirovsky attempts an unexpected comeback.

“Television medicine, this experiment was probably the first in the world. The Soviet audience was huge, 300 million people. And he became a meme, an icon, a god, a priest, because he promised people what they really needed: hope.” — Bohdan Shumylovych, historian

biography

Łukasz Konopa (1983) is a Polish documentary film director and cinematographer. He graduated from the National Film and Television School in London and studied sociology at the University of Warsaw. In 2023, he released his feature-length debut, Theatre of Violence, for which he has won numerous awards. Apart from his own work, he mentors students at Raindance Postgraduate in London.

film details

director:	Lukasz Konopa
producer:	Stanisław Zaborowski, Daria Maślona
script:	Lukasz Konopa
photography:	Kacper Czubak
editing:	Agnieszka Białek
music:	Jonatan Pastirčák, Oliver Torr, Marcin Mazurek
co-producer:	Radovan Síbrt, Alžběta Karásková, Magdalena Szczawińska

contact

Daria Maślona / Silver Frame
d.maslona@silver-frame.com