Anton Dolin (film critic)
Anton Dolin | |
|---|---|
| Born | Anton Vladimirovich Dolin Russia |
| Occupation(s) | Film critic, journalist, radio presenter, blogger, podcaster |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Known for | Chief editor of Iskusstvo Kino (2017–2022), film commentator on Evening Urgant (2012–2020), member of Hollywood Foreign Press Association |
Anton Vladimirovich Dolin (; ) is recognized as a Russian film critic, journalist, radio presenter, blogger, and podcaster. Between 2017 and 2022, he held the position of chief editor at Iskusstvo Kino magazine and was a frequent film commentator on Evening Urgant from 2012 until 2020.[1] Additionally, Dolin is affiliated with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and participates as a Golden Globe elector.[2]
Biography
Born to Soviet poet Veronika Dolina and physics academic Vladimir Vorobyov, Dolin completed his studies at Lomonosov Moscow State University's Faculty of Philology in 1997. He subsequently engaged in doctoral research at the Gorky Institute of World Literature, concentrating on Soviet fairy-tale novels, though he ultimately did not defend his thesis.[3]
Dolin embarked on his media journey through hosting roles at Echo of Moscow (1997–2003) and later at Radio Mayak (2007–2019), where he led various programs including film critique segments.[4] His journalistic contributions span prominent outlets such as Moskovskiye Novosti, Expert, The New Times, Vedomosti, Gazeta.Ru, Afisha, and since 2017, Meduza.[5] From 2010 to 2019, he reviewed cinema for Vesti FM, followed by work with Silver Rain Radio. Starting in 2012, Dolin appeared regularly as a film critic on the program Evening Urgant until his exit in 2020 after issuing a critical review published in Meduza.[6][7]
In 2017, he assumed the role of editor-in-chief at Iskusstvo Kino. Amid rising political tensions in early 2022, Dolin departed Russia,[8] resigning from his editorial duties shortly thereafter.[9][10]
Dolin established the YouTube channel Radio Dolin in 2021 with backing from Meduza, and co-hosts the podcast Book bazaar alongside Galina Yuzefovich.[11][12]
He directed the documentary titled The Architect: The Story of Alexei German and His Films, which premiered in October 2023; however, his name was subsequently removed from the official release.[13]
In 2024, Dolin disclosed that he holds Israeli citizenship.[14]
Family
His maternal great-grandfather was Alexander Osipovich Dolin (1897–1969), a neurologist and neurophysiologist who earned the title Doctor of Medical Sciences and served as a professor.
His maternal great-grandmother, Fanya Isaakovna Zborovskaya (1897–1973), was a pediatrician and hygienist with a Candidate of Medical Sciences degree; she conducted research at the Central Research Institute for the Protection of Motherhood and Infancy and was the inaugural director of the Research Institute of Pediatrics under the RSFSR Ministry of Health.
Arkady Yakovlevich Fisher (1924–2002), his maternal grandfather, worked as an aircraft engineer at NPO Lavochkin.
Alexander Dolin (born 1949), his maternal uncle, is known as a Japanologist, translator, author, Doctor of Philosophy, and professor.
His father, Vladimir Vorobyov (1939–2022), held a Doctorate in Physical and Mathematical Sciences.
His mother is Veronika Dolina (born 1956), who is recognized as a singer, poet, and songwriter.
- His brother Oleg Dolin (born 1981) is active as an actor and director in theater and film.
- His sister Asya Dolina (born 1984) works as a journalist and writer; she has experience with Echo of Moscow, Russia-24, Unified Media Group, and later joined Voice of America radio in the United States.
- His paternal half-brother Pyotr Vorobyov (born 1967) is both a scientist and author.
Dolin’s spouse is Natalia Khlyustova, who formerly served as sales director for Walt Disney Studios Sony Pictures Releasing (WDSSPR).
- Their sons include Mark (born 2002), who studied directing at VGIK, and Arkady (born 2010), who was attending school in Riga as of 2023.
Public involvement
Dolin identifies as an advocate for liberalism and democratic principles. He has expressed support for opposition figure Alexei Navalny, praising Navalny's investigative work and participating in demonstrations calling for his freedom. However, their public disagreement concerning journalist Sergei Brilev's dual citizenship garnered notable attention.
In 2013, Dolin voiced opposition to the Russian gay propaganda law and stood in solidarity with the Russian LGBT community. He was a proponent of the Euromaidan movement in 2014 and openly condemned Russian intervention in Ukraine. By September 2020, he had also expressed support for the 2020–2021 Belarusian protests. After the protests opposing the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Dolin relocated to Riga due to death threats from Russian ultranationalists. In October 2022, he was officially labeled a foreign agent.
In 2020, Dolin publicly backed Lubov Arcus during a social media controversy that resulted in her stepping down from Seans magazine. Additionally, he holds a position on the public council of the Russian Jewish Congress.
Artistic tastes
For the 2012 Sight & Sound greatest films survey, Dolin selected the following titles:
- Eraserhead directed by David Lynch
- The Idiots by Lars von Trier
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom from Steven Spielberg
- Mirror by Andrei Tarkovsky
- My Friend Ivan Lapshin by Aleksei German
- The Word directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer
- The Phantom of Liberty from Luis Buñuel
- Psycho by Alfred Hitchcock
- The Seventh Seal directed by Ingmar Bergman
- The Nibelungs by Fritz Lang
He names Manoel de Oliveira as his preferred filmmaker and lists Richard Wagner, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Luigi Nono among his favored composers. In 2020, Dolin also identified The Beatles as his top musical group.
Honors
Dolin has been awarded twice by the Russian Guild of Film Critics, recognizing his publications Lars von Trier. Term Papers: Analyses, Interviews. Dogville: The Screenplay (2004) and German: Interviews. Essays. Screenplay (2011).
Published works
- Catch XXI: Essays on Cinema of the New Century (2010)
- German: Interviews. Essays. Screenplay (2011)
- Lars von Trier. Term Papers: Analyses, Interviews. Dogville: The Screenplay (2004)
- Roy Andersson. Praise of Banality (2015)
- Jim Jarmusch: Poetry and Music (2017)
- Shades of Russian: Essays on National Cinema (2017)
- Twin Peaks: Observation Diary (2021)
- How to Watch Movies (2020)
- Mirages of the Soviet: Essays on Contemporary Cinema (2020)
- Tales: Fantasy and Fiction in World Cinema (2023)
- Bad Russians: Cinema from "Brother" to "The Boy's Word" (2024)