Filming of a new joint project of the AP Cinema film company and the START online cinema has started in Armenia — the sports drama “Golden Double”, which opens one of the greatest pages in the history of Soviet sports to the viewer.
The plot of the film refers to the legendary success of the Ararat club, when in 1973, under the leadership of coach Nikita Simonyan, the team became champion and winner of the USSR Cup. The path to this victory was not easy, and therefore it is the “Golden Double” — the first such achievement in the history of Soviet football — that is remembered today not only as a sporting event, but as a significant cultural symbol of that time.
The story of Nikita Pavlovich Simonyan is a unique example of sports longevity. At 98, Simonyan remains an active player on the football field, holding the positions of first vice-president and head of the Technical Committee of the Russian Football Union. Simonyan admits that the offer to make a film about his life came as a complete surprise to him. “To be honest, I was surprised when I was offered this idea. It’s been 50 years, and that’s a long time,” he shares. And here, of course, it’s important how Simonyan himself understands his role in the film: “I hope this story will become an inspiration for young guys who dream of big victories.”
The filmmakers pay attention not only to sporting achievements, but also to the values and spirit of that time. The film tells about the moral principles that were in sports back then, about support and respect. Today, such motives in history are interesting and in demand: over the past decades, we seem to have lost something important from this spirit of unity.
Eduard Iloyan, one of the main producers and co-founder of the online cinema START, explains the choice of the film’s theme: “We are creating a big film not only about a significant event in the history of Russian football, but also about a significant stage in the life of a legendary person, Nikita Pavlovich Simonyan. This is a great honor and responsibility. We are filming “The Golden Double” for a wide audience, because any sports drama is always a story about people, their values and supporting each other.” Iloyan’s view emphasizes the film’s deep message: how sport can be a platform for the formation of strong personalities, an example for the new generation.
The creators of the film also emphasize the importance of fan support, because fans play no less a role in any success. “The Twelfth Player” is not only a football metaphor, but also a powerful expression of the unity of fans and the team, which makes the film relevant for everyone who is interested in football or simply believes in the strength of the team.
Egor Beroev will play the leading role in the film. His colleagues on the set were Sofya Donyants, Ksenia Alferova, Sergey Shakurov, Sergey Gazarov, Babken Chobanyan, Anait Kirakosyan, Andranik Khachatryan and others. Under the direction of director Mher Mkrtchyan, the film crew is building a large-scale world of football and historical details of that time. On the set, there is even the USSR Cup – an original artifact that left the Spartak Museum for the sake of recreating historical events, which gives a special sense of authenticity to everything that is happening.