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On June 12, the sports drama "More Than Football," directed by Viktor Dement, will be released in theaters, featuring Roman Madyanov, Alexey Guskov, Alexander Samoylenko, Ivan Okhlobystin, and Alexey Vorobyov. Team members of "Starko," actors Ivan Alekseev and Igor Silchenko, who also play friends-football players in the film, shared their insights ahead of the premiere about the reaction of the national football team's head coach Valery Karpin after watching the film, the match against the Poles in Lublin, and their participation in "Art Football 2025."
- How long have you been involved in football?
Igor Silchenko: I’ve been playing since I was 6. I had a childhood friend, Artyom Khomenko, whom I met while we were both in the hospital. He instilled in me a love for this sport. Unfortunately, he passed away in April last year during the special military operation. As long as I can remember, I’ve always played football. I was born in Saint Petersburg but later lived in military towns in the Moscow region (my father was military), where I also played football.
Ivan Alekseev: I also started playing around 5-6 years old. We had a football club called "Zeus" in a small settlement called Yaiwa in the Perm region, where I was born. After school, I would go to football practice, then to music school, and then to a theater studio. And then back for football practice. I started playing in the backyard, where there were arguments and fights. Football brings various emotions.
- On June 12, the premiere of "More Than Football," where you both play football players, will take place. Tell us about it.
I.S.: Ivan and I have a true partnership in this film. According to the plot, we are inseparable.
I.A.: We play two friends who have been through a lot together and play in one national team, formed from "battle-scarred" players. Our characters don’t have prototypes, but there are examples of such people in the football world. These footballers lose their reputation and hope to play at a high level for some time and just start drifting along.
I.S.: Our characters are just chilling.
I.A.: The film is titled intentionally. It is "more than about football." Every person who engages in their favorite thing influences their consciousness and even their fate. In the plot, the team competing in the European Cup replaces the England team, which was disqualified due to rowdy fans, with the previously eliminated and disbanded Russian team. The coach faces a tough challenge - to prepare a team, which includes people with complicated personalities, in just two weeks in a hurry. Two players are under investigation due to a fight, while someone is going through a public divorce, etc. The team captain returns to the national team because of his seriously ill daughter, Dasha, whose health improves whenever her father’s team wins. Ultimately, all the "losers" find additional motivation, unite, and fight for Dasha’s life. And a true miracle happens - the team starts winning.
- How long have you known each other? Did you meet because of "Starko"?
I.A.: I’ve been in "Starko" relatively recently, since last year. I met Igor in the 2016-17 period in the theatrical football league. I played for the Russian Army Theatre, while Igor played for the Mayakovsky Theatre. We crossed paths on the football fields, and in 2022, when the media football league formed, we met again.
I.S.: I played for one team, and he played for another, where I was a goalkeeper. But in the decisive match, I was allowed to take a free kick. I scored, and we ended up playing a 2-2 draw. Thanks to the draw, we made it to the playoffs. In the next game, I scored 4 goals. Ultimately, Vanya and I met during the auditions for "More Than Football." I've been with "Starko" for 10 years now; this year marks a milestone.
The X World Football Championship for Artists — the International Football and Musical Festival "Art Football 2025" will take place in Moscow from June 7 to 15, 2025.
Entry to all musical and sporting events of the festival is free.
Festival website: artfootballfest.ru
Media inquiries and accreditation:
Angelina Shitova
PR@art-football.ru
+7 (963) 349-21-56
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