Natalya Merkulova

Natalya Fyodorovna Merkulova (Russian: Ната́лья Фёдоровна Мерку́лова; born 19 September, 1979; Buzuluk, Orenburg Oblast) is a Russian filmmaker, director, screenwriter, producer and creator. Since 2013, she has been working in duo with her husband filmmaker Alexey Chupov (b. 1973). She is most famous for "Intimate Parts" (2013, codirected with Aleksey Chupov) that was a part of Kinotavr Film Festival and won an award for the best debut, and "The Man Who Surprised Everyone" (2018, codirected with Aleksey Chupov) that was a members for the Horizons (Orizzonti) section of 75th Venice International Film Festival. Her 2021 film "Captain Volkonogov Escaped" (codirected with Aleksey Chupov) was selected for the main competition at the 78th Venice International Film Festival.

Works

6.9

Captain Volkonogov Escaped

Captain Fedor Volkonogov works in law enforcement. He is on the good books of the management, and his colleagues respect him. But one day, his life abruptly changes: he is declared a criminal. The Captain manages to run away before he is arrested. Suddenly he turns into an outcast, whom his former colleagues search across the whole city. At night Volkonogov is visited by a messenger from the other world, who warns him that after death he will go hell and be tormented forever. But he has an opportunity to change his fate and get to paradise if he repents, and at least one person forgives him. The Captain embarks on his way to find forgiveness. But he cannot even fathom what tests are awaiting him on this way.

Release Date:2023-01-05

Department:Writing

Job:Screenplay

Vote Count:61

Call Center
6.8

Call Center

Moscow. High rise. Here, on the 12th floor, is the office of the call center "Online Store for Adults". One morning, twelve people who are in the office suddenly find out that there is a bomb in the room. The voices of the unknowns who introduced themselves as Dad and Mom threaten to blow it up at any time if the hostages do not follow their instructions. While the countdown is going on, they will have to experience the absolute power of invisible sadists and learn something about each other’s life that they did not even suspect.

Release Date:2020-03-23

Department:Directing

Job:Director

Episode Count:8

Vote Count:24

3.0

Very Feminine Stories

Five different stories about women - their loved ones, passion, family and what they really want in life.

Release Date:2020-03-05

Department:Writing

Job:Scenario Writer

Vote Count:2

Gogol'
4.9

Gogol'

The year 1829. Nikolay Gogol, a young Third Section clerk, is desperate: his own books seem shallow and mediocre, so he keeps buying entire print runs just to burn them all. He is suffering from violent epileptic seizures and struggles to keep on working. Investigator Yakov Guro accidentally witnesses one such fit and realizes that Gogol's visions contain clues that could help solve actual crimes. Together, Gogol and Guro take on a particularly weird and baffling case that brings them to a small village of Dikanka, where everyone has a huge secret to hide.

Release Date:2019-03-25

Department:Writing

Job:Screenplay

Episode Count:8

Vote Count:14

5.9

The Man Who Surprised Everyone

Egor Korshunov (40) is a Siberian forest guard who works in a local environmental company, fighting fearlessly against poachers in taiga. Egor is a great family man, respected by his fellow villagers. He and his wife Natalia are expecting a second child. Unexpectedly, Egor finds out that he has terminal cancer and has only two months left to live. No traditional medicine or shamanic magic can save Egor. Finally, left with no other options, he decides to take the last desperate step. He attempts to completely change his identity in order to fool the oncoming death, just like Zhamba the drake, the hero of a legendary ancient Siberian epos, did.

Release Date:2018-10-25

Department:Directing

Job:Director

Vote Count:16

6.6

Gogol. A Terrible Vengeance

Soon after Gogol's death, Binh names him guilty for the deaths of the Cossacks and the young women at the hands of the Dark Horseman, since he was the one who ordered them to be hidden in the barn. Bomgart is unable to perform a post-mortem analysis on the Gogol's body, while Vakula's daughter Vasilina (who secretly has magic abilities) proclaims denial about Gogol's demise.

Release Date:2018-08-30

Department:Writing

Job:Screenplay

Vote Count:62

6.3

Gogol. Viy

A mysterious Dark Horseman slays young girls near the village of Dikanka, and he has already butchered 11 ladies. Nikolai Gogol, a scribe from Saint Petersburg has to take charge of the investigation, but the closer he gets to solving the case, the more fits he has, causing macabre visions. When he learns the next victim is his beloved, Liza, he doubts that he can protect her and resist the murderer. Fortunately, he meets somebody who can help him: Khoma Brut, the witch hunter, martial artist and philosopher. Together they spend three dreadful nights in an old chapel reading the funeral service for Ulyana, the witch, and calling upon the ghastly evil spirit Viy.

Release Date:2018-04-05

Department:Writing

Job:Screenplay

Vote Count:73

7.1

Salyut-7

USSR, June 1985. After contact with the Salyut 7 space station is lost, cosmonauts Vladimir Dzhanibekov and Viktor Savinykh dock with the empty, frozen craft, and bring her back to life. Based on actual events.

Release Date:2017-09-22

Department:Writing

Job:Writer

Vote Count:458

5.7

About Love. Adults Only

The second part of the film “About Love”. Moscow, summer 2016. A new lecture, a new lecturer with a new theme: “How to preserve love in the modern world” – and five new stories about love. The heroes still suffer, struggle for love, even more often get into absurd and ridiculous situations, and yet they trust in love even more.

Release Date:2017-09-01

Department:Directing

Job:Director

Vote Count:41

6.3

Gogol. The Beginning

The year 1829. Nikolay Gogol, a young Third Section clerk, is desperate: his own books seem shallow and mediocre, so he keeps buying entire print runs just to burn them all. He is suffering from violent epileptic seizures and struggles to keep on working. Investigator Yakov Guro accidentally witnesses one such fit and realizes that Gogol's visions contain clues that could help solve actual crimes. Together, Gogol and Guro take on a particularly weird and baffling case that brings them to a small village of Dikanka, where everyone has a huge secret to hide.

Release Date:2017-08-31

Department:Writing

Job:Screenplay

Vote Count:95

4.1

Yana+Yanko

Yana Titova is a very successful businesswoman, editor-in-chief of a fashion glossy magazine. She considers herself a self-sufficient, accomplished woman and supports "child-free". It doesn't bother Yana at all that at thirty-eight she doesn't have a husband or children. Having achieved popularity, Yana confidently goes forward, not wanting to compromise her own principles. But suddenly, clouds are gathering over Yana's well-being, and in order to strengthen her almost lost position, she agrees to an unthinkable step, deciding to adopt a child. Yana takes her from the orphanage a little gypsy by the name of Yanko. That's just Yana does not even suspect what will turn out for her such a PR move.

Release Date:2017-04-13

Department:Directing

Job:Director

Vote Count:4

Crisis of Tender Age
5.3

Crisis of Tender Age

This is a story about three best friends: Shura, Yulya and Anya. They are 18 years old, all the most important things in life are happening for the first time, and they approach everything with youthful zeal and maximalism. Shura Ermakova falls in love with a teacher and on the same day she learns that her mother returned to her family, who left her as a child. Yulia Kuzmina can never break off relationships with her boyfriend, a policeman who constantly cheats on her, and Anya Silkina, using the connections of her dad-producer, comes up with a new career once a week.

Release Date:2016-08-08

Department:Directing

Job:Director

Episode Count:8

Vote Count:3

Sisters

Nina is a successful family woman, but she has her “Achilles’ Heel”: her younger sister, the reckless Alla. Nobody understands why Nina looks after her all the time. One day Nina’s patience comes to an end, but she has to face a difficult choice...

Release Date:2016-06-09

Department:Directing

Job:Director

Rodchenko's Stairs

This is the story that could be behind the famous photo of Alexander Rodchenko "Stairs". Moscow, 1929. The end of the era of constructivism in the USSR. A young woman comes to visit a middle-aged woman to resolve their complicated relationship.

Release Date:2015-09-01

Department:Directing

Job:Director

4.6

Intimate Parts

Residents of a big city, each of whom has their own sexual problems and desires, secret and, most often, shameful from the point of view of society, need to solve them. Each of the characters tries to solve their problems in their own way: someone sublimates them, someone turns to a psychotherapist for help, someone rushes into experiments... but sooner or later they all return to where they started, and they have to overcome themselves again and again to get at least a little, even a millimeter closer to their happiness.

Release Date:2013-06-05

Department:Directing

Job:Director

Vote Count:25

Substance: Milk

A movie about looking for the main substance.

Release Date:2012-09-01

Department:Directing

Job:Director

Substance: Jam

Release Date:2012-09-01

Department:Writing

Job:Screenplay

Man In Me

Man In Me

Sasha Polyanskaya is young, beautiful, she has a wonderful husband, a prestigious job. The house is a full cup, caring parents, loyal friends... But everything collapses in an instant, when on the day of her thirtieth birthday, Sasha finds out about her husband's infidelity and at the same time loses her job. It's time to admit to yourself that her whole happy life was just an illusion. Relatives, instead of supporting Sasha, are preparing a new round of tests, her friends do not know what is happening to her. There is nowhere to wait for help. And then Alexander appears in Sasha's life - her second self. He is not at all like his mistress - bright, determined, ambitious. Just the way Sasha herself should be.

Release Date:2011-01-01

Department:Writing

Job:Screenplay

Episode Count:64

Daughter

Release Date:2009-09-01

Department:Directing

Job:Director

Traumatism

A movie about one broken arm, love, sex, betrayal, hate, separation, Alfred Hitchkock, female panties and slightly salted pickles. Natalia Merkulova constantly interviewed her depressed 34-old boyfiend Liosha for several months talking about male-female relationship. The result is this 25 minutes long very honest documentary.

Release Date:2008-09-01

Department:Editing

Job:Editor

Override

In LA’s gritty underworld, a vengeful driver forms a dangerous bond with a young woman fighting to survive.

Department:Directing

Job:Director

Anna K

Anna K

Anna Karenina is a socialite and wife of the soon-to-be governor of St. Petersburg, who enters a life-changing love affair with Vronsky, the dashing heir of an aluminum empire.

Department:Directing

Job:Director

Episode Count:1

Residential District

Residential District

In the center of attention is a large and strong Maslov family, which is not as successful as it may seem at first glance. These are ordinary people living in an ordinary apartment building on one of the Moscow streets. They are the same as us – they solve their problems, joke, quarrel, love each other, prepare to meet a new day. They live.

Release Date:2009-01-01

Department:Writing

Job:Screenplay

Episode Count:114

Wedding Ring
3.0

Wedding Ring

Release Date:2008-11-03

Department:Writing

Job:Screenplay

Episode Count:715

Vote Count:1

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