Shostakovich Biopic Enters Production in Russia

According to the Russian news agency TASS, a new film centred on the life of composer Dmitri Shostakovich has entered its main phase of production. Directed by Alexei Uchitel, the film carries the working title The Noise of Time. It aims to portray the complexities of the 20th century through the eyes of Shostakovich himself.

Uchitel previously stated that the film is not a conventional biopic, but rather an interpretative exploration of the composer’s fate and the deeper meanings behind his music. The role of Shostakovich will be played by young National Theatre actor Oleg Savtsov. Other leading cast members include Polina Tsyganova, Maria Smolnikova, Darya Barabanova, Yevgeny Tsyganov, Lev Zulkarnayev, and Nikita Kologrivy.

Uchitel remarked that Shostakovich’s life—from childhood to death—was marked by numerous events and turning points, involving family, career, illness, and, of course, love. The composer endured immense hardship, and distilling such a vast wealth of material into a single screenplay was no easy task. “Even a television series could not fully capture the breadth of his life,” the director noted. He also revealed that Oleg Savtsov will portray Shostakovich at all stages of his life, with the aid of prosthetic and transformative make-up techniques.

Yevgeny Tsyganov is set to play the role of fellow composer Sergei Prokofiev. According to Uchitel, “Yevgeny was initially being considered for another part, but his audition for Prokofiev was so compelling that everything simply fell into place.”

The screenplay has been written by Alexander Terekhov, a process that took over three years. The project has been presented multiple times at pitching sessions of the Russian Cinema Fund. The film is scheduled for release in 2026, coinciding with the 120th anniversary of Shostakovich’s birth.

Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich (1906–1975) was a renowned Soviet composer, pianist, educator, and musical public figure. His oeuvre includes numerous symphonies, string quartets, operas, ballets, and music for film and theatre. Through the lens of this People’s Artist of the USSR, the audience will experience the spirit of the 20th century, and gain insight into how the challenges of his personal and political life shaped his musical legacy.