The theme of the "simple man" usually focuses on social aspects. i.e. a man of a simple profession, of modest means and of little influence in society.

• BUT I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN "THE SIMPLE MAN" AS AN EXISTENTIAL CONCEPT.

On the one side of the scales we have a short life and fear of death, but what is on the other side? What can reconcile us to all of this? Yes, sure, belief in God. That has always existed. But in recent times a new religion has emerged. The religion of success.

• THE ONLY ACCEPTABLE OUTCOME OF FATE IS TO CONSIDER YOURSELF "FAMOUS", OR AS A COMPROMISE, A "GREAT" PERSON.

But what do you do if you aren't talented enough, but you are clever enough to understand this? You have a problem: you're not John Lennon or Alexander the Great... That's how the strange Alexeev in "A Film about Alexeev" came about. I even tried to make the name of the film stylistically portray that this was a story of a "simple man".

I think it came out of a cross between simple, standard Russian collocations (A Film about War, a Film about Love, A Film about American Indians) and classic names in English Literature: "The Case of…", "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde", "The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button", "The Strange Case of Mr. Pelham" and so on. That is, something extraordinary which happens to someone seemingly ordinary.