The surprising part of Russian-born filmmaker Yuri Shapochka’s personal story is the city where this dashing director with long, brown hair and intriguing now world-view lives and works. It’s our own sleepy burg of Birmingham. I wrote a profile of Shapochka for the June 2012 issue of B-Metro magazine in Birmingham, where I’m a regular contributor. Shapochka left Russia, where he worked as a journalist and TV producer, 15 years ago to come to America. He wanted a chance to make film and believes he made the right choice in coming to Birmingham, though it’s not a film capital. “To me it was a good place to start,” he told me in a phone interview. “Nothing is easy, but I saw open doors. I saw support of the local people. I saw a friendly attitude.” And now Shapochka, will for the first time have a full-length feature film to peddle at markets and festivals beginning in the fall of 2012. The film is Clubhouse, a revenge play and morality tale filmed in Birmingham and featuring Shapochka’s characteristic black comedy.
Russian-born director makes his home and his movies in Bham
The surprising part of filmmaker Yuri Shapochka’s personal story is the city where this dashing director with long, brown hair and intriguing world-view lives and…


