Matthew Passion (film)

Matthew Passion (Страсти по Матвею) is a 2023 Russian coming-of-age romantic comedy drama film written and directed by Sergey Ilin. Young stars Denis Vlasenko and Valeriia Zoidova in a touching love story between a young altar boy and a daring artist.

Matthew Passion was theatrically released in Russia on October 19, 2023, by National Media Group Film Distribution.

Plot
Matthew is a young man who dreams of one day becoming a good priest. But for now he is forced to diligently and diligently perform the duties of an altar server.

One day he meets the artist Agatha, who has nothing to do with the church at all. She is a daring and spontaneous person who lives for one day at a time. It would seem that they are completely different, but over time it turns out that young people, despite different values, have a lot in common.

Cast

 * Denis Vlasenko as Matthew Tikhomirov (also tr. Matvey Tikhomirov), an altar boy
 * Valeriia "Valeri" Zoidova as Agatha (also tr. Agata), a tattoo artist
 * Timofey Tribuntsev as Theodore (also tr. Fyodor), a priest
 * Aleksey Rozin as John (also tr. Ioann), Matthew's father
 * Olga Medynich as Anna, Matthew's mother
 * Anar Khalilov as Major Robert, a young millionaire
 * Olga Bodrova as Barbara (also tr. Varvara)
 * Aleksandr Mizev as Cyrus (also tr. Kir)
 * Valeria Chelovechkova as Liza
 * Katerina Kuchma as Maria
 * Mikhail Orlov as Misha
 * Ekaterina Novokreshchenova as Sasha
 * Vasilisa Semashkova as Svetlana
 * Ivan Kravchenko plays himself as a bartender

Production
For director Sergey Ilin, the film became a debut. In an interview, he noted that he also put into his work personal impressions accumulated over the years of his youth. The script was written by Igor Rybin. It is also noted that the authors sought to show the life of the Orthodox community in modern society, as well as the problems that concern parishioners.

The film crew, led by Ilin, traveled to more than 200 churches throughout the Moscow Oblast and Moscow.

Casting
Particular attention was paid to the authenticity of the behavior and images of priests. Aleksey Rozin and Timofey Tribuntsev were participants in rehearsals, which took place specifically in order to bring the images of their characters closer to the objective and everyday world of Orthodox ministers.

Release
The premiere screening of the film Matthew Passion took place on October 11, 2023 at the capital’s Khudozhestvenny cinema. The film was presented by the leading actors. The wide release took place on October 19, 2023.