While I appreciate that Wilson’s criticisms arise from a place of familiarity with the text, my thoughts on the actual issues she takes with Nolan’s reinterpretation are more complicated. On some accounts, I think her grievances are spot-on. I share Wilson’s frustration that, despite the film’s diverse cast, the characters with the most agency are ultimately white men. I too am upset that the film was shot in the occupied Western Sahara, which certainly complicates the film’s own critiques of colonial violence. However, where I depart from Wilson’s view is in her marked distaste for the adaptational changes Nolan brought to his film; her disappointment that “there are no sex scenes,” that Damon’s Odysseus “seems to lack technological intelligence,” that the film’s values “directly contradict those of Homer’s poem.” Mind you, these are all factual statements about the film. Nolan’s film is not doing any of these things, but importantly, I don’t think it wants to.

Even if Wilson will admit that adaptations “needn’t and shouldn’t follow the original with anything like the exactitude of a translation,” I feel that her criticism of the kinds of changes Nolan made to Homer’s poem and the effects those changes have rubbed me the wrong way in no small part because I think they occasionally fail to engage with the goals that Nolan actually had in making those changes. With that, in this article I’d like to highlight some notable examples of how and why films choose to depart from their source materials and subsequently what those acts of unfaithfulness can add to a reading of the film that’s informed by its individual goals.

Shades of Day – New Director’s Cut (Vitaly Sumin, 2023)

One of the most common ways we see film adaptations stray from their source materials is through a change in location. Particularly when reworking novels from older and foreign authors, it makes sense that filmmakers would decide to set the events of the original work within a more local setting, sidestepping the need for extensive period set-dressing, language and vocal coaches, and the intricacies of authentically replicating cultures and society of which the entire cast and crew isn’t local. We see this done in films like Akira Kurosawa’s Ran (1985) and Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet (1996), which both take works of Shakespeare and reimagine them hundreds of years and miles removed from the lands from which they came.

However, I’m not just interested in the utility of adaptational infidelity, I’m interested in its poetics. Take Vitaly Sumin’s Shades of Day, a remarkable adaptation of Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s novella White Nights (1848), and the first instalment of his larger “Dostoyevsky-L.A.” project. The film transposes the hyper-active first-person telling of a man who loves a woman who will never return his affections because of her attachment to another to a sprawling Los Angeles fable of love and jealousy including wild plot-threads not present in the original. It goes without saying that the cultures, customs, and even climates of late-1840s Saint Petersburg and mid-2000s L.A. are worlds apart, a shift which fundamentally changes the context through which the events of the narrative transpire. While the film is no less psychologically driven than Dostoyevsky’s text, said psychology is developed further by casting the originally nameless narrator as white police officer Steven Prescott and his love interest’s amour as Paul, a well-to-do black man. This allows the film to use the original novella as a way of sub-textually grappling with white America’s history of insecurity regarding racist notions of black sexuality through its adaptational changes, not even regarding the many other expansions Sumin applies to the narrative.

Starship Troopers (Paul Verhoeven, 1997)

Some films are not simply satisfied to transpose the plots and themes of texts to new contexts, instead interested in changing them in ways that actively grapple with the original. In the same way that an essayist can emphasize the words of a thinker they disagree with to highlight their hypocrisies, so too can the skilled filmmaker do so in the process of adaptation. We see this done in films like the Zucker Brothers’ Airplane! (1980) and Spike Jonze’s Adaptation (2000), which are equal parts original statements and commentaries on the movie and book they are adapting respectively.

Of course, no discussion of the self-reflective adaptation I’ve described is complete without mentioning Paul Verhoeven’s Starship Troopers, a film which uses the names and likenesses of Robert Heinlein’s original techno-fascist tale of killing alien bug creatures and its broader narrative strokes, but through the over-the-top, gory lens of 80s Verhoeven. There is no way to read this film without the context of the director’s early childhood experience in Nazi-occupied Holland and his subsequent early career forays into anti-fascist cinema, one which is positively tactile in his adaptation. By stripping Heinlein’s text of the elegant, technical, borderline fetishistic prose which glamorized his ideal future of all-but-mandatory military service towards the aims of human supremacy, Verhoeven is using the skeleton of Starship Troopers as a way of skewering the novel and the ideology it promotes through raucous parody.

The Odyssey (Christopher Nolan, 2026)

More common than the self-reflective kinds of adaptation in a work like Verhoeven’s—likely because it can’t be an easy sell to the rightsholders to say hey, I don’t want people to want to read your book or watch your movie after they watch this—is the unfaithful adaptation that is really only interested in the source material as a vehicle to tell a new story with new ideas. Sometimes, the most interesting ideas one takes from a text aren’t the ones it offers, but rather the ones created through the synthesis of the story’s themes and the pre-existing worldviews of its readers. In examples like Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining (1980) and Orson Welles’ Chimes at Midnight (1965), the general characters and narrative architectures of the originals stay the same, but still leave completely different impressions on the viewer than their source material due to their substantial deviations.

Returning to the film which sparked this article, I think that Nolan’s The Odyssey offers a helpful look at how ostensibly unfaithful adaptations can use the frameworks built by the original texts to tell new stories with new goals. The film is one interested in questions of storytelling and faith, one where the main character is only ever able to tell the truth through the lens of lies, fables, and misremembrances. In it, the Gods are all but absent, with the only one on-screen being an Athena who can only ever be seen by Odysseus, but when questioned as to why they do not make themselves more obvious to humans, we are questioned as to why storms, earthquakes, and the smiles of children do not count as manifestations of the divine. In this, Nolan puts forward a version of the poem where the factual reality of divinity is put into question and the nature of magic is suspect—Odysseus is the only character in the film from whom we ever hear tales of the supernatural—but finds its value in that it is able to describe what lies underneath the disguises of human skin. It’s a film where the material reality presented by exteriors are systematically pulled away to reveal the often ugly truths that we can only imagine through metaphor: the menacing suit of armor which cloaks a coward, monsters which make palatable the intentions of cruel men, the pristine wooden horse which contains a betrayal of human dignity so great that it necessitates the collapse of the civilization that built it. These are, in my opinion, the goals of The Odyssey, and what I believe makes it an exciting adaptation are the ways it achieves those goals because of its infidelity to Homer, not despite it.

Conclusion

I do not want any of this to come off as some sort of takedown of the credibility of Emily Wilson as a critic or scholar, a task which I am by no means in the position to do, nor even interested in—ultimately, my disagreement with Wilson’s criticism is rooted in what I see as perhaps a less good-faith reading of the purposes behind Nolan’s departures from Homer’s poem than my own, which is not a sin. Rather, I wanted to argue that in works like Sumin’s Shades of Day, Verhoeven’s Starship Troopers, and Nolan’s The Odyssey, we’re presented with a compelling case for the value of a more charitable, goal-oriented approach to evaluating film adaptations. When watching these films, don’t just ask yourself how authentic they are to the events of the source material, which characters are being left out, or which themes the filmmakers changed. Rather, I would implore you to wrestle with perhaps a more empathetic set of questions: what does this film want to say about the place it’s reimagining the source material? About the work that it is adapting? About a world which perhaps didn’t even occur to the original author?

Want to know about VMP Films and about the films we make? Want to participate in our projects? Go to www.dostoevsky-bts.com and enter your email on the box at the bottom of the page where it reads “I Want To Be Part Of The Action!” and you are ready to go. Don’t forget to grab our FREE e-books!

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However, the independent film-making space has many hurdles and great challenges. But none greater than securing independent funding. Film is a truly expensive medium, and because of that, the effort required obtain funding topples more than a few projects. But many of these creators, including visionary producer Vitaly Sumin at VMP Films, find creative ways of overcoming them. While the process is difficult, the end result can tell spectacular narratives that could never exist elsewhere. 

The Independent Filmmaking Process

The journey of an independent film typically begins with an idea. A story that a writer simply cannot live without telling, or a classic that deserves a stellar modern re-imagining. From there, the filmmaker develops a script, assembles a team, and begins pre-production. This process involves casting, location scouting, scheduling, and budgeting. After pre-production, the film moves on to production. This is how the sausage gets made – the process of filming each individual scene. Production is quick and resource-conscious, unlike post-production. Editing, sound design, and color correction. Alongside these technical aspects, post-production also involves securing distribution. 

What distinguishes independent filmmaking is not just the scale, but the approach. Filmmakers frequently rely on smaller crews, flexible roles, and creative problem-solving. Then, collaboration becomes essential, and every contributor often wears multiple hats. Because of this, the creators put a lot of themselves into bringing a story to fruition. The end goal is not just completion, but authenticity. Through this process, independent filmmakers like VMP Films manage to tell a story that resonates.

Fiscal Sponsorship in Independent Funding

One of the most difficult challenges to overcome in independent filmmaking is securing funding. Unlike studio films, independent films lack the money of major studios behind them. They rely on crafty solutions to overcome this hurdle. Among these strategies is one that has produced particular success: fiscal sponsorship. 

Fiscal sponsorship has emerged as a powerful tool. It helps independent filmmakers seeking funding without sacrificing ownership or creative control. Fiscal sponsorship involves an arrangement in which a nonprofit organization agrees to support a project. Thus, the project is allowed to receive tax-deductible donations. This structure benefits both filmmakers and donors. Contributors are more likely to support a project if their donations are tax-deductible. And also, filmmakers gain access to funding streams that would otherwise be unavailable. Additionally, fiscal sponsors often provide oversight, credibility, and administrative support, helping projects stay on track.

Scene from “Notes From the New World”.

For independent filmmakers it’s hard to work outside traditional studio systems. Fiscal sponsorship can mean the difference between a project remaining an idea and becoming a finished film. Numerous independent films use this established method, including those by VMP Films. 

VMP Films: A Case Study in Independent Funding

VMP Films is a production company rooted in a deep appreciation for classical storytelling. As they put it: “Imagine a society with no art, no literature, no statues, no paintings… Although such a society sounds far-fetched, it is only through the work of dedicated individuals and the contributions of many others that artistic achievement is nurtured and developed. Without such dedication and contribution, a cultureless society becomes a reality” (Our Method of Producing).

VMP Films exists to ensure that such a cultureless reality never comes to pass. The company focuses on developing and producing films based on original stories and masterpieces of world literature. Thus, they often exploring themes neglected by mainstream cinema. Their work builds on work by the great artists of history. This includes creators like Dostoevsky who help humanity better understand life, death, and coexistence.

Through their commitment to storytelling, VMP Films has produced documentaries, shorts, and feature films, including Shades of Day. This film received critical acclaim and multiple awards. The film was even selected for academic study alongside works by renowned directors. With their follow-up film, Notes from the New World, the company continued to build momentum. They earned the Best Artistic Contribution Grand Jury Award at the Los Angeles World International Film Festival. VMP Films has used the assistance of a Fiscal Sponsor to produce their award-winning films. 

A Partnership From The Heart

It wouldn’t be possible for VMP Films to produce their award-winning stories without their partnership with From the Heart Productions, a respected nonprofit which has supported independent filmmakers since 1993. Through this partnership, VMP Films accepts tax-deductible donations, making it easier for supporters to contribute financially. As a public charity, From the Heart Productions provides a framework that allows donations to qualify as charitable contributions under U.S. tax law. Thus, you can support VMP’s stellar films without breaking the bank. 

This arrangement is particularly powerful because it combines the benefits of nonprofit fundraising with the flexibility of a for-profit production company. While donations are tax-free for contributors, VMP Films can still generate profit from the completed project. This hybrid model reduces financial risk and opens the door to a broader base of support. 

It’s a strategy used by many forward-thinking production companies. By lowering the upfront investment required, projects that might otherwise be considered too risky become viable. Investors and donors alike can participate in bringing meaningful stories to life.

Leveraging Local Talent

Operating in Los Angeles, VMP Films benefits from a unique ecosystem: the global hub of independent filmmaking. The city offers an abundance of studios, equipment rental houses, and post-production services, alongside innumerable skilled professionals. Interestingly, much of this infrastructure is free at any given time, creating opportunities for independent productions to access high-quality resources at reduced costs.

VMP Films takes full advantage of this environment. By offering back-end compensation instead of large upfront payments, they attract passionate collaborators who are invested in the project’s success. This approach transforms each team member into a stakeholder, sharing both the risks and rewards.

Nancy’s Game: The Future of Independent Film

At the center of VMP Films’ current efforts is Nancy’s Game  This thriller is in active development presents an exciting opportunity for audiences to get involved.

As the studio puts it, “Nancy’s Game is a thriller which follows an aspiring writer who stages a ‘war game’ to test her book Love Game against reality with the help of two former soldiers. Will Nancy prove the concept of her book, or will reality not go the same way as her fictional novel where no killings take place?” (Our Method of Producing).

VMP – In active development!

Nancy’s Game  exemplifies VMP Films’ commitment to thought-provoking storytelling. Because of it’s intense subject matter, it challenges assumptions, explores human behavior under pressure, and invites audiences to reflect on the nature of conflict and resolution.

Through their partnership with From the Heart Productions, you can make tax-deductible contributions to Nancy’s Game  This is more than just your typical fundraising role. It’s an opportunity to be part of the filmmaking process. Donors can receive a variety of rewards, including digital copies of the film, soundtracks, and special features. Higher-tier contributions may even include on-set participation or roles in the film. For many, the idea of seeing their name in a film’s credits is a dream. VMP Films makes that dream accessible.

VMP brings stellar, high-quality stories to life, through the combination of artistry and also passion. Their strength comes from the quality of their work – which they attain while having fun along the way, as seen in this fun promotional video released by the company:

Why Independent Funding Matters

The partnership between VMP Films and From the Heart Productions highlights a broader trend in independent filmmaking. As traditional funding avenues become more competitive, filmmakers turn to innovative models like fiscal sponsorship.

This approach not only democratizes funding but also strengthens the connection between creators and audiences. Supporters become collaborators, invested in the success of the project both financially and emotionally. 

VMP Films stands as a compelling example of how this model can be successfully implemented. Through their partnership with From the Heart Productions and their ambitious new project Nancy’s Game , they are inviting audiences to take part in something meaningful. To become a part of the filmmaking process and transform the artistic world together. 

If you are thrilled to know more about this lovely multi awarded film and the other projects to come, sign up today for a free membership with us and gain exclusive access to our members-only content, which includes our exclusive e-book Our Method of Producing where you can learn more details about how we get things done.

Go to https://www.dostoevsky-bts.com/ and enter your email on the box at the bottom of the page where it reads I Want To Be Part Of The Action! And you are ready to go.

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This sense of catastrophe is one that is ever present in art. It ripples across the line that divides adaptation and reality, transforming our world into another. It is through catastrophe that an adaptation manages to bring one of Dostoevsky’s oldest and most un-adaptable works, Notes From Underground, into a modern epic: Notes from the New World. 

The Macbeth Effect

In theater lore, there is a long-standing belief that certain stories carry a curse. It is derived from the play Macbeth. The so-called “Macbeth effect” traditionally refers to actors’ superstitions about staging dark material, especially stories soaked in murder and ambition. In psychology, the term also describes how feelings of moral contamination lead people to seek physical cleansing. As though guilt itself were a stain.

The Macbeth effect was born from the stage, but has extended to play an important role in Hollywood. The realm of glitz and glamor is filled with more dark tales and conspiracies than one could count. Screenplays steeped in violence and spiritual corruption do not simply portray darkness, they generate it, pulling performers and audiences into a shared atmosphere of unease.

Dostoevsky adaptations, particularly Notes From Underground, lean heavily into that moral contamination. His writing has been equal parts revered and reviled. His characters do not merely commit crimes, they rationalize them, philosophize about them, and sometimes worship them. These arguments can suffocate both the actors and the audience. The justification can warp our sense of right and wrong. It leads one to question if such stories should even be seen or staged: the MacBeth effect in full force. 

A Dostoevsky Adaptation

This particular effect of Dostoevsky’s work takes shape in the latest, and perhaps greatest, adaption of his work: Notes from the New World, an effort to adapt one of Dostoevsky’s earliest and most mysterious works: Notes from the Underground. Notes from the New World is an adaptation both loosely and directly inspired by Dostoevskian themes of alienation, pride, wealth, ideological extremism, and spiritual decay. It depicts classic Dostoevian characters ripped from their stories, transcending their narrative bounds to confront universal truths. And above it all, a meta-narrative level that directly challenges the viewer. This film has layers of meaning and philosophy, but perhaps nothing is more revealing than the film documenting its troubled release: An LA Story. 

An LA Story depicts more than the making of a film. It is a Dostoevsky adaptation of legendary proportions, detailing the troubled production of a film seemingly cursed by the fates themselves. As LA Story unfolds, an initially fabricated story of a missing screenwriter named Robert Hurley unravels into a truly supernatural phenomenon. The cast, crew, and even the auteur behind the script, Vitaly Sumin, discovers that the script itself faces a dark curse. Accidents haunt rehearsals, relationships fracture, and a creeping paranoia takes hold on set.

Macbeth and Los Angeles

What makes An LA Story so compelling is its suggestion that the “curse” is not supernatural at all, but psychological. The screenplay of Notes From the New World centers on passion mixed with deep, violent betrayal. While the film struggles to get made, the cast and crew unravel a dark conspiracy involving an ancient cult and a dark ritual. What begins as a fabrication quickly spirals into a story of witchcraft, curses, and a crew fractured from the start. In embodying their characters, the actors immerse themselves in suspicion and duplicity. Jokes turn sharp. Minor disagreements grow into ideological battles and suspicion of real crimes. The fictional curse takes root in reality.

Here the Macbeth  effect becomes a lens. When people repeatedly simulate immoral acts, such as those depicted in Dostoevsky’s works, their minds respond as though something real has occurred. Even if no blood is shed, the rehearsal of darkness can create a residue.

In LA Story, we can see the actors playing the central characters descend into fear and paranoia. They suffer from medical conditions and growing paranoia. Others begin to latch onto a real life investigation, fearing for their own lives and safety. Enough of the cast and crew leaves that only a skeleton of what was there before remains. The material of this Dostoevsky adaptation is simply too dark – and in a Macbethian manner, the tragedy becomes manifest. It becomes apparent that the screenplay was simply too dark, too subversive, and too gruesome to be staged. 

Redemption in a Dostoevsky Adaptation

Despite it’s great darkness, the film also gestures towards redemption. In this beautiful Dostoevsky adaptation, the remaining crew rally together and a true masterpiece rises from the ashes. As the director, Vitaly Sumin  postulates, “Now imagine how this story would have gone if I had the money in place at the start of this adventure. We would have gone into production right away, without the half a year or more of rehearsals, with possibly the wrong actors in the lead roles. The script would have been less developed. I would not have built up the deep understanding of the story that I now have. It would have resulted in a very different film” (LA Story).

The enduring lesson, whether in Dostoevsky’s works or in the narrative of an LA Story, is that art is powerful precisely because it is immersive and true. This brilliant Dostoevsky adaptation shows us that stories shape the emotional worlds we inhabit. When we tell stories of ambition, pride, fear and love, we may begin to fall into those stories and let them become our realities. But it is only through this darkness that we can transform and be reborn. If a story’s negative aspects can manifest through identification, then so can its redemptive ones. Stories destroy us, but only to tear us down and remake us whole. 

Want to know about VMP Films and about the films we make? Want to participate
in our projects? Go to https://www.dostoevsky-bts.com/ and enter your email on
the box at the bottom of the page where it reads “I Want To Be Part Of The
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Adapting a story

We all have that particular book we loved the first time we read it and when it became a film it left us disappointed. Either they had trimmed super special moments, vanished entire sequences critical for character development, or simply showed a different setting of the world we had already built to the last detail in our mind. These and more changes can happen to a story and its protagonists when translating the narrative from literature to film. Contrary to popular belief, that does not always mean a movie is bad.

It’s just different

We can all agree reading a book is essentially different from watching a movie. And not only in terms of the physical support from where we get to experience the story —some pages or a screen—, but also in terms of the available narrative resources proper for each medium that directly impact the way a story unfolds.

Guillermo Del Toro, a famous mexican film director shared in an interview one of the most important guidelines when making a film: “whatever you decide to put into your script must be proved by the camera or the sound recorder.” This is because film is an audiovisual plattform, which means equal importance of images and sound are needed to deliver a message, so whatever you cannot see or hear is no material for a movie.

A good example for this statement are the character’s feelings. While in a book you can read how a character feels about something without them even saying a word or behaving expressly in a certain way, in films you will either need to hear or see a representation of how they are feeling in order to understand this inner world. Whether someone talks about it, or even if we just get to see them behaving in a very specific way, there are no other paths for conveying meaning in cinema other than hearing or seeing things.

Some examples

There are a lot of movies that were actually born from a previously published book or story. Some of them are pretty well known to be adaptations but there are other ones that maybe would not be that easy to spot. Here you got 3 film examples that you probably didn’t know were adaptations:

1. Mood Indigo (Michel Gondry, 2013).

Sinopsis: Wealthy, inventive bachelor Colin endeavors to find a cure for his lover Chloe after she’s diagnosed with an unusual illness caused by a flower growing in her lungs.

From the book: Froth on the Daydream, by Boris Vian, 1947.

2. The Dead (John Huston, 1987).

Sinopsis: Gabriel Conroy and wife Gretta attend an early January dinner with friends at the home of his spinster aunts, an evening which results in an epiphany for both of them.

From the short story: The Dead, by James Joyce, 1914.

3. Shades of Day – New Directo’s Cut (Vitaly Sumin, 2023).

Sinopsis: The film crosses and re-crosses the thin line that separates tragedy from comedy. It introduces us to the enchanting LINDA, whose life is centered around a planned reunion with her former lover PAUL. Her plans change in remarkable ways as she encounters an extraordinary cast of characters, including a new lover and a movie producer who is being pursued by the Mafia.

From the short story: White Nights, by Fyodor Dostoevsky, 1848.

And the answer is…

Literature and Cinema are two different narrative mediums. They have their own and unique way for storytelling. While something is possible in one of them, it may be not as useful for the other. Sadly that is why it is so common for us to be disappointed with a movie when we already loved the book. But let me tell you something, there are actually some film adaptations that did a great job resembling the things happening in the book. I already gave you the name of one of them as the number 1 of the list above, now I want you to comment more examples in the Leave a Reply section.

Next time you watch a movie that is an adaptation from a book I invite you to focus on how the character’s feelings are shown on the film, and compare the different ways the book and the movie portray those things. I am sure you will find some interesting things. Hopefully after doing that you will agree on the fact that if a film is different from the book that does not necessarily mean the movie is bad.

Before we finish

You can watch Shades of Day on Prime Video, and first-hand experience this heartfelt film adaptation from the short story that is considered to be one of the greatest love stories ever written.

In this film Writer / Director / Producer Vitaly Sumin explores the boundaries for conveying meaning through the usage of color, editing and sound design, all working together in order to build the right atmosphere for his characters and the story they are telling. This one is the first part of our “Dostoevsky-L.A” project, which also will include “Crime and Punishment, LA” and “Idiot, L.A”.

Want to know more?

If you are thrilled to know more about this lovely multi awarded film and the other projects to come, sign up today for a free membership with us and gain exclusive access to our members-only content, which includes our exclusive e-book Our Method of Producing where you can learn more details about how we get things done.

Go to https://www.dostoevsky-bts.com/ and enter your email on the box at the bottom of the page where it reads I Want To Be Part Of The Action! And you are ready to go.

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According to Cambridge online dictionary, Censorship is “the action of preventing part or the whole of a book, film, work of art, document, or other kind of communication from being seen or made available to the public, because it is considered to be offensive or harmful, or because it contains information that someone wishes to keep secret, often for political reasons.”

In other words, we can understand the act of censorship as an active attempt to prevent a piece of information from being disclosed to the public eye. We may most commonly associate these actions to a journalistic environment, which is the epitome of researching and disclosing information, but I am sure we would all agree that the art world is also one of the most prolific places to find this behavior.

Why would movies be subject to censorship?

Sadly there are many examples of a film being subject to censorship. As it can be understood not only as an entertainment product but also as a work of art, it has the characteristic of being a vehicle for human expression, often struggling to deliver its message precisely due to the things it talks about. But censorship in this regard has a lot more to do with the public nature of the cinema than any other of its features.

Since the cinematograph was invented by the Lumiere brothers in 1895, films have been a public experience, reaching different audiences throughout history. Even movie theaters used to deliver the news in the 40’s and 50’s because it was a place already designed for people to gather.

Movies like Daisies (Vera Chytilova, 1966) or Salo (Pier Paolo Passolini, 1975) faced strong restrictions in terms of their distribution and exhibition due to their political speech and depictions of what was considered morally depraved sexual practices. But even when these are great examples of censorship in movies, they have in common one thing: both films were already finished when the forbiddance began.

Independent filmmaking under attack

While the most popular –or should I say well-known– restrictions in this regard are those where the motion pictures are already at their distribution/exhibition facet, it does not mean that it is the only step of the way movies face such attacks. A good example of this is what happened to Writer / Director / Producer Vitaly Sumin and his crew when producing the award winning movie Notes From the New World , where oddly and dangerous things were taking place in order to stop the film from being made.

From weird discoveries, harassment and physical attacks, to the sudden and mysterious disappearance of Bob Hurley—the screenwriter of the film—the recently released documentary The Strange Case of Robert Hurley and the Missing Screenplay follows the threatening atmosphere this passionate crew had to navigate to bring their movie to completion.

Available now on Prime Video, this thrilling adventure offers more questions than answers as these courageous people struggle to keep moving forward day by day, putting their sanity and well-being on the line in the name of art. Who doesn’t want this story to be told? Is it worth it risking their lives? How did they manage all that pressure? If you don’t want to miss the outcome of their enterprise, watch this breathtaking documentary here.

Want to know more?

Sign up today for a free membership with us and gain exclusive access to our members-only content, which includes our exclusive e-book Our Method of Producing where you can learn more details about how we get things done.

Go to https://www.dostoevsky-bts.com/ and enter your email on the box at the bottom of the page where it reads I Want To Be Part Of The Action! And you are ready to go.

To read more about how the borders of True Crime as a genere and real life blurred in the making of this film visit True Crime: Cult-Like Obsession and Real Life.

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Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be on the other side of the screen when watching a movie? Let Writer / Director / Producer Vitaly Sumin guide you through what seems almost impossible to achieve in his thrilling documentary An LA Story: The Making of the Award Winning “Notes from the New World”.

Whether you are familiar with the filming process or not, you must know that it is never easy to make a movie, no matter how short, complex, simple or long it seems to be. There is always a big amount of energy and time invested in it, besides many people and pitfalls to sort out every day that are worth every second you see on the screen.

As if the natural daily obstacles of the filmmaking process were not enough, this production was targeted by a dark and mysterious group (the mafia?) that represented a very serious threat to the well-being of the crew. They were trying to stop the project from being made and strange things suddenly started to happen: The screenwriter went missing, the actors for the lead roles were being harassed and more.

An LA Story presents to you a unique point of view of all the ups and downs in the process of making the award winning movie Notes from the New World. Guided by Writer / Director / Producer Vitaly Sumin, submerge yourself into this rollercoaster of emotions where you will explore different aspects of the whole journey of this amazing crew, ranging from emotional and creative challenges to other more serious difficulties.

Passion Projects

In other words, low/no-budget films. These projects are the ones where we –the film people– usually find some of our best friends in the industry. These types of projects where no one is making any profit are fertile ground for creativity and friendship to grow. Every single person in the crew is putting their best effort into making the film come true, and a deep team spirit fed by trusting each other is what keeps us going in spite of all the challenges we face. That is exactly how Writer / Director Vitaly Sumin and his great team were able to achieve what seemed almost impossible at the beginning.

Of course, there are times where not everyone in the team is willing to give what it takes and that is fine too, but it is always the right people, the best ones who make it to the end of the journey together as a team, not because it is easy but because it is worthy.

This documentary presents a story of perseverance, passion and commitment, and it comes from a place where teamwork truly makes dream work: Independent film-making. It was recently selected for the Lift-Off Sessions 2025 by Pinewood Studios (London, UK), which are monthly showcases where filmmakers around the world are selected to compete online and have the opportunity to reach global audiences.

If you don’t want to miss the upcoming screenings, sign up today for a free membership with us and gain exclusive access to our members-only content, which includes our exclusive e-book Our Method of Producing where you can learn more details about how we get things done.

Go to https://www.dostoevsky-bts.com/ and enter your email on the box at the bottom of the page where it reads I Want To Be Part Of The Action! And you are ready to go.

See you around!

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During the production of Notes From the New World, VM Productions ran into their fair share of roadblocks and hurdles. Consequently, what was expected to a simple, promotional documentary became its own drama-thriller story, except this time the subjects are real.

An LA Story: The Making of Notes From the New World is that documentary. Now featured in the Lift-Off Sessions 2025: Volume #4, a monthly competition that features a wide range of new and emerging indie content. This weekend, tune into their features segment to watch our journey to making Notes From the New World. Moreover, be sure to vote for it after watching all the good films featured in the showcase!

The Lift-Off Sessions

Festivals and independent filmmakers work hand in hand to curate specialized, imaginative film collections to audiences that love watching them. An LA Story is specifically tailored to explore the film making process from idea to distribution, highlighting the unique challenges that low-budget films face.

The Lift-Off Sessions (physical location: the famous Pinewood Studios in London, UK) value fostering a digital connection with global audiences. They strive to connect people with a wide range of grassroots independent film talent. Furthermore, An LA Story not only fits this mission, it explores it in its content.

For this weekend, don’t miss the online event! Use this link to purchase a ticket and watch the unique tale of An LA Story. Voting closes Sunday night (5.18.2025), so don’t forget to vote after watching! We’re so grateful for this opportunity to share this story with you.

Manifestation and Macbeth

Macbeth offers a conversation about inevitability. If he never met the witches, would he have avoided his fate? Was it bound to happen anyway? The Notes production ran into its own collection of hurdles, each seeming to stem from the story itself.

An LA Story follows the VMP cast and crew as they passionately prepare for the Notes production, and then the constant pitfalls faced by it. It’s a story of perseverance and artistic integrity, not often seen in today’s fast-paced world.

Like Macbeth, Vitaly Sumin and company explored the missing screenwriter, Robert Hurley, accidentally involving the occult and the Russian mafia. In doing so, cast and crew alike faced numerous production problems, like the loss of main actors and their initial filming space. After much deliberation, the production felt cursed… or maybe members of the Russian Mafia really didn’t want this film (Notes From a New World) to be made. 

Enjoy

After all the hard work that went into this film, we’re excited to showcase it in The Lift-Off Sessions 2025: Volume 4. Let us know what you think!

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During the production of Notes From the New World, based on Dostoyevsky’s Notes From Underground and second in VMP’s ambitious Dostoyevsky Project, Robert Hurley acquired the only copy of a hand-written shooting script, a vital piece of the production puzzle. Writer, Director, and Producer, Vitaly Sumin was distraught to find that, after he trusted Hurley with this script, Hurley vanished. He gathered his crew members, so they could begin to work together to find Robert Hurley, but instead they found a mystery, one that put the production in jeoprody.

Additionally, VMP hired a camera crew to capture behind the scenes footage of the creation of Notes From a New World, with no preconception of what was about to happen. Through meticulous editing, we have put together this footage, in an attempt to solve the mystery: What happened to Robert Hurley? 

Life’s Own Mysteries

In the past decade true crime has blown up as a genre. Streaming services, influencers, and podcasters alike dove into topics of murder, kidnapping, and mysterious disappearances much to the appeal of wide, general audiences. But what drew them to this topic in the first place? 

Some say it’s the ease. The content is everywhere, on every platform, so it’s not hard to find a retelling of a real-life thriller story. Yet, I think this might be a chicken/egg situation, because if not for the popularity, then I don’t think producers would invest in these projects. 

More likely the draw of this genre is the thrilling window into someone’s story/psyche; one completely different than the viewer’s own, sort of like people watching. The story has a very clearly defined hero and villain. It’s a dramatic story that explores unique motives with a guaranteed answer at the end. 

It plays into the natural curiosities of the audience and can also justify the traumas experienced by the audience members. In my research about the true crime genre, I began to draw many comparisons to the very popular, and much older genre of Film Noir.

The Thrill of the Chase

Film Noir was popularized in the 1940s after the rise of crime thriller novels in the 1930s. Known for its melodrama, dramatic lighting, and archetypal characters, the genre emphasizes cynical attitudes and motivations through crime drama storylines.

Similar to true crime, Film Noir exhibits risqué dialogue and behavior for the time, and contrasting to true crime, it has less heroic protagonists than seen in other traditional cinema. The story prioritizes the way the audience connects with the protagonist and the way the audience expects the story to follow.  It’s gritty and real, exploring darker themes seen in humanity.

Robert Hurley’s story is a mixture of both. It’s entirely true, with nefarious characters and mysterious threats. The VMP crew examines the intense mystery surrounding his disappearance like the protagonists of Film Noir, and the situation plays out chronologically, just like true crime.

The Missing Screenwriter

The date of birth of Robert Hurley’s and his past in general is unclear, some sources saying he grew up in an orphanage, but according to his own blogs, Hurley mentions his parents and their influence on his collegiate education. 

In college, Hurley got a Computer Science degree and later landed a stable job in that field. But his love of writing continued to haunt him. So Hurley attended many playhouses, eventually meeting our own Vitaly Sumin through the New Playrights Foundation. They worked together on the script for Notes From the New World, then during production Robert Hurley vanished.

Rumors spread about the script. Crew members left the production after being threatened. Hurley wrote about everything online.

Cults. Prostitutes. The Mafia. Mysterious and strange emails. This story has them all.

And it’s coming out soon on Amazon Prime and the other distributors.

Check it out!

The Strange Case of Robert Hurley & The Missing Screenplay

Because of the strange occurrences that happened on the set of Notes From a New World, we over at VMP have put together a documentary with all the details included. Furthermore, it explores a cult’s potential involvement with his disappearance, and the alleged dubious connection to the mafia.

The film comes out soon, but you still have a chance to be a part of it! Click the photo or this link for more information on how you can start your filmmaking career.

Also featured here is our free E-book with detailed information about Robert Hurley and his disappearance. Check it out here.

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The post True Crime: Cult-Like Obsession and Real Life first appeared on Dostoyevsky Reimagined: Blogs.

VM Productions brings the work of classical authors to life, with films like Shades of Day and Notes From A New World, alongside compelling original work. This is made possible working alongside From the Heart Productions with your (potential) tax-deductible donation!

I previously wrote about Hurley’s strange adaptation, but in exploring his love of classical literature, I found a diverse selection of adaptations, both old and new.

We add our own voice to old work, and through that make new discoveries. Except in today’s landscape of remakes and adaptation, how can we pick out the good from the bad and the bad from the ugly? Our culture eats itself, overindulging on adaptations and remakes, however in the over-saturated market, it becomes difficult to pinpoint the inherent quality provided by adaptations and remakes.

In my exploration, I found three pillars of a good adaptation, displayed in movies like A Clockwork Orange, Pride and Prejudice, and Easy A, to name a few.

Mise En Scene

Firstly, the aspect of color and mise en scene (staging) must accurately depict the emotion and themes of the original work. If the filmmakers understand what the original work conveys, then through the power of color theory and shot composition these ideas can be conveyed visually instead of verbally.

Mise en scene is the art within a scene; the props and set the actor interacts with. By deploying these through calculated means, the adaptive filmmaker can truly make a picture say 1000 words. Each frame tells the story found in the pages of its literary reference.

This deeper understanding gives a more solid stomping ground for creative liberties to take root. Nathaniel Hawthorne writes of the isolation of religious impropriety and Will Gluck showcases this same feeling via the ostracization of a high-schooler condemned to a similar fate.

It conveys the same ideas through a modern lens. The Scarlet Letter now lives on in that work.

Mise en Sonore

In Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange, Alex goes into extensive detail about his obsession with Beethoven. In Kubrick’s version, we get to hear it. The audio aspect of this film creates an immersive soundtrack to the ultra-violence within the story and further emphasizes the themes surrounding the influence of media.

Alex undergoes the Ludovico Technique and through our own senses, so do we, as the audience.

Audio also tells us, the audience, how we should feel and further immerses us into the world of the character. A high quality soundtrack traces us back to the time the book was created and furthers the relationship we can have with historical figures and grounds us in similar woes. Some feelings are universal, regardless of time or background.

Furthermore, the language and diction of the dialogue plays into the works well. Reading leaves room for tonal interpretation, whereas with a film we get the unique experience brought to life in an actor, similar to stage plays, but still more immersive.

Music and communicaion unite us and while these are explored in books, an adaptive filmmaker can take their work a step further. Neither is better, in fact, they build off of one another. Books enriching the mind and movies enriching the heart.

Passion

The final puzzle piece is passion. A good adaptation cares about honoring the work its adapting. For example, Dostoyevsky was not only a talented writer, but was also an intelligent philosopher. You can’t adapt his work with integrity without recognizing the philosophy behind it. At VM Productions, our adaptations strive to do just that.

Robert Hurley saw the value of translating Dostoyevsky’s works into cinema, and after this examination, I can see where he was coming from.

In every man’s memories there are such things as he will reveal not to everyone, but perhaps only to friends. There are also such as he will reveal not even to friends, but only to himself, and that in secret. Then, finally, there are such as a man is afraid to reveal even to himself, and every decent man will have accumulated quite a few things of this sort.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Notes From Underground

He took on adapting Notes From Underground with us at VM Productions, but he allegedly wrote what he knew, which includes: the Russian mob, Satanic cults, and mysterious prostitutes. He introduced a deeper world of intrigue to Dostoyevsky’s classic masterpiece, and now VM Productions is hard at work to find him after he tragically vanished.

VM Productions is passionate about honoring classic literature with their films. The next installment of their Dostoyevsky Project is Crime and Punishment, LA and following this: The Idiot, the former of which is in active development. If you’d like to be a part of these high-quality adaptations, join our newsletter and donate today!

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_{Featured image: Sonia (Natasha Blasick) by the window of the Underground Man (Steven) – Notes From the New World}

The post Your Adaptation Sucks! (And How to Make it Better) first appeared on Dostoyevsky Reimagined: Blogs.

Blending Classic Stories with Modern Ideas

To start, VMP Films’ new projects combine classic themes with today’s ideas. Inspired by timeless literature, these stories focus on struggles that still feel relevant. This approach keeps each project fresh, while also connecting it to tradition. Through this fusion, VMP Films shows that, although times change, human experiences stay the same. By mixing familiar and modern elements, they create a bridge between past and present storytelling.

A Peek at VMP Films’ Upcoming Projects

Next, let’s explore these new projects from VMP Films. Each one brings together original ideas with bold adaptations, creating unique, engaging stories. Here’s what to expect:

1. “Why Dostoyevsky Reimagined is a Must-Watch for Today’s Audience“: This project draws on Dostoyevsky’s themes of morality and psychology. By reimagining his characters in today’s world, VMP Films brings timeless questions to life in a modern way. This adaptation is ideal for fans of literature-inspired cinema who want stories that are thoughtful yet deeply emotional.
2. “The Experimental Narrative”: Additionally, VMP Films combines storytelling, visual art, and immersive technology in this project. This unique approach allows the audience to join the story instead of only watching. As a result, VMP Films invites viewers to connect on a deeper, interactive level.
3. “The Idiot” is a novel by Fyodor Dostoyevsky about innocence, morality, and human nature. It follows Prince Lev Myshkin, a kind and compassionate man with epilepsy. Seen as naive, or an “idiot,” he returns to Russia after years in a Swiss sanatorium. There, he faces intense social dynamics in St. Petersburg. Myshkin’s honesty and compassion lead him into complex situations, especially with Nastasya Filippovna, a troubled woman, and Aglaya Epanchin, a young woman from a wealthy family.

VMP Films’ Vision and Influence

Overall, VMP Films creates films that are both thoughtful and moving. Each project invites viewers to reflect on themes like values, identity, and humanity. By merging classic stories with modern themes, VMP Films continues to lead in independent filmmaking, inspiring audiences to think and feel deeply. Moreover, they encourage viewers to connect emotionally with each story.

What’s Next for VMP Films?

Looking ahead, VMP Films promises to engage and inspire audiences with these unique projects. For those who love films that explore life’s big questions, these projects are sure to leave a lasting impact. To learn more, visit the VMPFilms New Projects page or their official website for updates. For further details on their latest releases, check out Shades of Day, dedicated to one of their most celebrated works.

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The post VMP Films: Awaken to Love and Transformation first appeared on Dostoyevsky Reimagined: Blogs.