Astev Rikoski

Astev Rikoski was a Russian filmmaker and comic book artist. Born and raised in St. Petersburg, Rikoski grew up watching old cartoons such as the localized version of Astrid Lindgrens "Karlsson on the Roof" and reading comics from all over Europe and Asia. His fascination with cartoons lead to him wanting to pursue a career as a comic book artist however his family wanted him to be a governor instead. His frustration of people wanting him to work for the Russian government lead to him writing the original draft of "Ghost Car" about a young anarchist trying to escape authority. He originally intended to adapt it into a graphic novel but after the death of his parents, he fell into a heavy state of depression. Later in life while on holiday in France, he had a conversation with Luc Besson and told him about his anti authoritarian story. Besson liked the story but felt it would work better as a film instead of a graphic novel. Rikoski claimed this to have been a wake up call for him as he spent over five years trying to get funding for the film. Besson was unable to step in as a producer as he was busy working on the "Arthur" series. "Ghost Car" released in 2014 to glowing reviews from critics but was a financial failure, barely making back its production budget. This made Rikoski fall deep into depression again as he never made another film. In early 2016, Rikoski was found dead in his apartment after having committed suicide. "Ghost Car" has since garnered a massive cult following in Russia. Tarantino regarded it as one of the most overlooked films of all time. While Rikoski never got to witness the sudden love for his film, his legacy will forever be kept alive by his fans.