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Russian director Alexey Zlobin's body-swap drama Lorik [+], which is showing in the First Feature Competition of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, centres on an egotistical middle-aged actor called Laurence Alexandrovich (Michael Poghosian, who also co-wrote and co-produced the film), whose passion for theatre is rivalled only by his spite for the people around him. Bossy, rude and arrogant in his belief that anyone he speaks to can't match his intellectual prowess, he is constantly either throwing tantrums about things that are not to his taste or sending quotes from classic dramas flying to intimidate his already petrified circle of collaborators and neighbours. (The article continues below - Commercial information) Modesty and kindness are not Lorik's strong suit until he starts - literally speaking - walking in other people's shoes. When the theatre shuts down for an alleged renovation, which will actually turn the building into the headquarters of a powerful, corrupt and money-hungry political party, Lorik loses his way. Forlorn and depressed about the unfortunate turn of events a day short of the premiere of a play based on Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, he returns home to drown himself in self-pity. It is there that a mysterious moment of divine intervention takes place, while he is looking at the framed photograph of his actor parents, who died in a car crash a long time ago, leaving him orphaned as a child. Slouched on the floor and right in the middle of the famous monologue from Macbeth, "Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage...", he is suddenly transferred into the body of his drunkard neighbour, Johnik. Incidentally, there are, all in all, too many monologues and quotes in the film, and they cover everything from Shakespeare, Cervantes and Carroll to the nursery rhyme "Humpty Dumpty". By quoting the Caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland after the opening credits - "It is wrong from beginning to end" - Zlobin is perhaps subconsciously making a statement about his confusing multiple body-swap storyline. After having taken the form of his neighbour, Lorik briefly becomes his aunt Tamara's (Shake Tukhmanyan) house help, Chinar (Ani Galstyan), a bedridden eight-year-old girl called Asya (Irene Ayvazyan) and, finally, the corrupt politician and presidential candidate Garnik Karapetovich (also the father of Chinar's boyfriend, Arthur), played by John Makaryan. Since the magic obviously doesn't follow the same pattern each time and the souls bounce from one body to the next like dropped marbles, it is difficult to say how it actually works. It's like a new, random-body-swap Freaky Friday in the Armenian language. The reason for choosing so many identity switches becomes clear quite early on in the film, and although it serves the logic of the script, it is the easiest and most obvious method of transforming an anti-hero into a man with a heart of gold. There are some fine moments in Lorik, a movie that is mostly memorable on account of its production design (courtesy of Armen Ghazaryan), the selection of locations across Yerevan (Anna Zakaryan) and the dreamy original score written by one of the most important contemporary composers, David Haladijan. One of the most memorable scenes is a ceremony reminiscent of Freemason initiation rituals, held here by right-wingers who want to give their favourite politician Garnik - "possessed" by Lorik - the honorary title of "Knight of the Aquiline Nose". Lorik is an Armenian-Russian-Swiss-Serbian-Swedish-Cypriot co-production staged by K&MM Ltd and Team Production, and was supported by the National Cinema Center of Armenia. Did you enjoy reading this article? Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox. MARINA RICHTER

"Lorik" genuinely paints a picture of the Armenian society. Theatrical and eclectic, deep and light, engaging and touching - in this tragic comedy full of magical and social realism, everything is shared. Awesome subjects, abundant colors, abundant characters - director-scriptwriter Alexei Zlobin has taken a good nuts and created his fairy-tale world. Michael Poghosyan, who plays the role of leader (and co-writer and producer), is well-respected on this memorable journey.

I enjoyed Lorik very much! It's a very unusual film, exspecially for german eyes; in our country nobody produces such poetic and theatric things! And although one may criticise some details as not perfect - for example, Loriks changes into other persons happen by very different kinds of strokes, logically a bit strange and arbitrarily, but very well filmed -, the meaning of the story is human und heartworming, and so are the actors! I'm in love with all of them, but the little girl is a sensation!

According to my opinion, the graetest qualitity of the film is a) its crazy, but wise and worm story and b) the credibility of all the actors, and especially the charisma of Lorik and the little girl, which make it work so well. Thank you very much for this film, and good luck!

This is a film with a deep meaning. The scenario is based on an allegory . I had a lot of fun and was very excited when I left the cinema !

Touching and meaningful! Gives you a true meaning of life and in other peoples perspective. Must See!

The Lorik is very touching film. There is deep meaning there, it is very layered film. You are immersed in an incredible world of film from the first scene. And until the last scene you watch it in one breath. There is a great acting, and very interesting camerawork, and an incredibly beautiful, emotionally strong and professional soundtrack.

So many films nowadays are all action and no plot. Almost arbitrarily these directors choose to film the same old stories, the same old heroes and the same old lessons... keyword, they are old, except the CGI - that's new, and great work.

Body-swaps are nothing new, but this one is done with heart. The film might not be as sensational as say 'Joker' because, let's be frank, it has 1/100th of the budget in the first place, there is no Hollywood A list and it is no Batman Saga super villain origin story, what it is though, is one lesson after another.

We are all bored to learn or change, and most of us have this laziness since school. If you are to get up and watch something for the benefit of yourself and the people around you, then Lorik is the film to see. So many lessons, so many values, especially when you know how the film was shot.... and why, and what of it.

Bravo to all the people who made it happen. 9/10 just because of some minor inconsistencies, other than that good job.

Is very interesting and incredibly emotional touching film

I was really touched, during the whole film i got different feelings, the movie takes many important themes to think about, it's tragical but at the same time it force you to remember about important things of people relationships, humanity attitude.... i also opened many interesting things in terms of shooting film, it was smth new and unique for me The plot is actually good The acting is fantastic!

Amazing movie!! Excellent acting, a film about the beautiful, about love, loyalty, makes you think!

Lorik is a beautiful and deep philosophical tragicomedy. I recommend watching this movie.

I like European films and this movie is a must watch one., Michael Poghosyan's performance is outstanding, the scenario is heard touching.