‘Chernobyl’ – Interview:

26 April, 2023 Siobhan Marie Day 0 Comments 3 categories

Elements of Chernobyl: ‘Vichnaya Pamyat’ Featurette…

In 2019, HBO released a featurette titled “Chernobyl: Elements of Chernobyl: ‘Vichnaya Pamyat.” This behind-the-scenes exploration provides viewers with an in-depth look at the making of the final episode of the acclaimed miniseries, Chernobyl, titled “Vichnaya Pamyat.” Directed by Johan Renck and created and written by Craig Mazin, this episode serves as the dramatic culmination of the series, and the featurette offers valuable insights into its creation.

Go behind the scenes of the miniseries finale of HBO's "Chernobyl" and discover why the truth about the disaster remained unsaid for decades. Photo Credit: HBO

Genre: Historical drama, Disaster, Tragedy, Created and written by Craig Mazin, Directed by Johan Renck, Starring: Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, Paul Ritter, Jessie Buckley, Adam Nagaitis, Con O'Neill, Adrian Rawlins, Sam Troughton, Robert Emms, Emily Watson, David Dencik, Mark Lewis Jones, Alan Williams, Alex Ferns, Ralph Ineson, Barry Keoghan, Fares Fares, Michael McElhatton, with Composer Hildur Guðnadóttir, Country of origin: United States, and United Kingdom, Original language: English, No. of episodes: 5, Executive producers: Craig Mazin, Carolyn Strauss, Jane Featherstone, Johan Renck, and Chris Fry, with Producer Sanne Wohlenberg, and Production locations of Lithuania, and Ukraine, with Cinematography by Jakob Ihre, and Editors Jinx Godfrey, and Simon Smith, Camera setup: Single-camera, Running time: 65–78 minutes, Production companies: HBO, Sky UK, Sister Pictures, The Mighty Mint, and Word Games, Original network: HBO (US), and Sky Atlantic (UK)(2019)

Director Johan Renck of the HBO series 'Chernobyl' poses for a portrait during the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival at Spring Studio on April 25, 2019 in New York City. Photo Credit: Corey Nickols/Contour by Getty Images

Craig Mazin of HBO's 'Chernobyl' poses for a portrait during the 2019 Winter TCA Portrait Studio at The Langham Huntington, Pasadena on February 8, 2019 in Pasadena, California. Photo Credit: Corey Nickols/Contour by Getty Images

Setting the Stage:

The featurette begins by revisiting the overarching themes and narrative arcs of the Chernobyl series. It reminds viewers of the catastrophic nuclear disaster that unfolded in 1986, emphasizing the human cost, the scientific complexities, and the political dimensions explored throughout the show. The episode “Vichnaya Pamyat” is described as the climax of this narrative, focusing on the trial of those responsible for the disaster and its profound implications.

Historical collections of the Chernobyl accident from the Ukrainian Society for Friendship and Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries (USFCRFC). April 26, 1986, signified the boundary between life and death. A new reckoning of time began. This photo was taken from a helicopter several months after the explosion. The destroyed Chernobyl reactor, one of four units operating at the site in Ukraine in 1986. No units operate today. (Chernobyl, Ukraine, 1986) Copyright: IAEA Imagebank Photo Credit: USFCRFC

(L to R) Jessie Buckley, and Adam Nagaitis in HBO's "Chernobyl" (2019) Photo Credit: HBO/Sky Atlantic

Emily Watson as Ulana Khomyuk in HBO's "Chernobyl" (2019) Photo Credit: HBO/Sky Atlantic

Stellan Skarsgård as Boris Shcherbina in HBO's "Chernobyl" (2019) Photo Credit: HBO/Sky Atlantic

Jared Harris as Valery Legasov in HBO's "Chernobyl" (2019) Photo Credit: HBO/Sky Atlantic

Hilton McRae in HBO's "Chernobyl" (2019) Photo Credit: HBO/Sky Atlantic

Con O'Neill, Adrian Rawlins, and Paul Ritter in HBO's "Chernobyl" (2019) Photo Credit: HBO/Sky Atlantic

(L to R) Stellan Skarsgård, Emily Watson, and Jared Harris in HBO's "Chernobyl" (2019) Photo Credit: HBO/Sky Atlantic

Emotional Weight and Historical Accuracy:

Craig Mazin, the creator of Chernobyl highlights the emotional and historical weight of the final episode. They emphasize the importance of staying true to the real events and the individuals involved, even as he took artistic liberties to enhance the dramatic impact. The creator discuss the responsibility of honoring the memory of those affected by the disaster and ensuring that their sacrifices are not forgotten.

Creator and writer Craig Mazin goes behind the scenes of the miniseries finale of HBO's "Chernobyl" and discover why the truth about the disaster remained unsaid for decades. Photo Credit: HBO

Valery Legasov (second from right) at a Vienna press conference, August 1986. Phot Credit: Wikipedia Commons

A scene in HBO's "Chernobyl" (2019) Photo Credit: HBO/Sky Atlantic

From 1983, Ignatenko was married to Lyudmilla Ignatenko (born 1963; not to be confused with Ignatenko's sister of the same name). She was from central Ukraine, and worked at the confectionery shop of a factory-kitchen enterprise in Pripyat. Meeting through mutual friends at an apartment party in Pripyat, they courted and were legally married on 24 September 1983. Two separate celebrations were held for the families of both the bride and groom in their respective hometowns following a civil ceremony. After the disaster, Lyudmilla traveled to Moscow with Ignatenko's father. There, she remained at the hospital through her husband's illness, helping to care for him through his decline in health up until his death. It was she who summoned the family to Moscow by telephone as Ignatenko entered terminal decline. Vasily and Lyudmilla Ignatenko had one child following a previous unsuccessful pregnancy: Natasha Ignatenko. Reportedly born with congenital heart defects and cirrhosis of the liver, she died shortly after she was born and was buried with her father in Mitinskoe Cemetery, Moscow. As Lyudmilla was pregnant with her daughter at the time of the accident and during her husband's hospitalization, it has been speculated that her daughter's death was the result of radiation exposure from her husband. In a 1996 interview, Lyudmilla said that her baby "took the whole radioactive shock [...] She was like a lightning rod for it". However Ukrainian medical responder Alla Shapiro, in a 2019 interview with Vanity Fair, said such beliefs were false, and that once Ignatenko was showered and out of his contaminated clothing, he would not have been dangerous to others, precluding this possibility. Robert Peter Gale, an American hematologist who was directly involved in the treatment of Chernobyl radiation patients, also writes that victims were not radioactive themselves and therefore did not pose a danger of radiation exposure to others, although this was unknown at the time of the disaster. Photo Credit: Google Images

Character Development and Performances:

A significant portion of the featurette is dedicated to character development and the performances of the cast. Jared Harris, who portrays Valery Legasov, and Stellan Skarsgård, who plays Boris Shcherbina, share their insights into the complexities of their characters. They discuss the evolution of Legasov and Shcherbina throughout the series, particularly in the context of the trial scenes in “Vichnaya Pamyat.”

Valery Legasov presents his report in the Chernobyl investigation. Valery Alekseyevich Legasov (Russian: Валерий Алексеевич Легасов; 1 September 1936 – 27 April 1988) was a Soviet inorganic chemist and a member of the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union. He is primarily known for his efforts to contain the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Legasov also presented the findings of an investigation to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) at the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV), detailing the actions and circumstances that led to the explosion of Reactor No. 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Photo Credit: Google Images

(L to R) Stellan Skarsgård, Jared Harris, and Emily Watson in HBO's "Chernobyl" (2019) Photo Credit: HBO/Sky Atlantic

Boris Shcherbina was the one responsible for evacuating all residents of Pripyat in the wake of the Chernobyl disaster. Boris Yevdokimovich Shcherbina (Ukrainian: Борис Євдокимович Щербина, romanized: Borys Yevdokymovych Shcherbyna, Russian: Борис Евдокимович Щербина; 5 October 1919 – 22 August 1990) was a Ukrainian Soviet politician who served as a Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union from 1984 to 1989. During this period he supervised Soviet crisis management of two major catastrophes: the 1986 Chernobyl disaster and the 1988 Armenian earthquake. Phot Credit: Wikipedia Commons

The actors reflect on the moral dilemmas faced by their characters and the emotional intensity of their final scenes together. The chemistry between Harris and Skarsgård is lauded as a pivotal element in conveying the profound relationship between Legasov and Shcherbina.

Jared Harris goes behind the scenes of the miniseries finale of HBO's "Chernobyl" and discover why the truth about the disaster remained unsaid for decades. Photo Credit: HBO

Stellan Skarsgård goes behind the scenes of the miniseries finale of HBO's "Chernobyl" and discover why the truth about the disaster remained unsaid for decades. Photo Credit: HBO

(L to R) Stellan Skarsgård, and Jared Harris in HBO's "Chernobyl" (2019) Photo Credit: HBO/Sky Atlantic

The Courtroom Drama:

Another of the featurette is dedicated to the courtroom drama depicted in “Vichnaya Pamyat.” The creator and actors delve into the preparation and execution of these pivotal scenes. The attention to historical accuracy is stressed, with the courtroom set and the proceedings meticulously recreated to reflect the actual trial of those responsible for the Chernobyl disaster.

(L to R) Stellan Skarsgård, and Emily Watson in HBO's "Chernobyl" (2019) Photo Credit: HBO/Sky Atlantic

Victor Bryukhanov, Anatoly Dyatlov and Nikolai Fomin at their trial in the HBO miniseries (top) and in real life (bottom). Photo Credit: HistoryvsHollywood.com

Jared Harris‘s impassioned monologue in the courtroom is a highlight of the episode, and the featurette delves into the actor’s process in delivering this powerful speech. The emotional resonance of this moment is discussed in detail, and its significance in the context of the series is emphasized.

Truth and Accountability:

Throughout the featurette, the Craig Mazin, Harris and Skarsgård underline the central themes of Chernobyl, particularly the concepts of truth and accountability. They discuss the moral and ethical questions raised by the disaster and the decisions made by those in power. The trial scenes in “Vichnaya Pamyat” culminate in these themes, where the characters confront the consequences of their actions and the need for accountability.

The Legacy of “Chernobyl”:

The featurette concludes by reflecting on the legacy of Chernobyl and its enduring impact. Craig Mazin express his hope that the series will serve as a reminder of the importance of truth, transparency, and accountability, especially in the face of environmental crises. Mazin emphasize that the lessons of Chernobyl are not confined to the past but continue to resonate in the present.

Conclusion:

“Chernobyl: Elements of Chernobyl: ‘Vichnaya Pamyat” offers a captivating and insightful journey into making the final episode of the Chernobyl miniseries. It provides a deeper understanding of the creative process, character development, and the thematic underpinnings of the series. Through interviews with the cast and creator, viewers gain a renewed appreciation for the emotional and historical weight of “Vichnaya Pamyat” and its contribution to the broader narrative of Chernobyl. This featurette is a valuable companion to the miniseries, shedding light on the dedication and craftsmanship that brought this impactful story to life.