BG Film Hit the Mark

Editor,While Betsy McKay's review of Jo Durden-Smith's book "Russia: A Long Shot Romance" (June 8) abstracts Durden-Smith's observation that director Michael Apted's film of Boris Grebenshchikov's American odyssey "failed miserably" because it was "heavy handed," the review oddly neglected to specify that Durden-Smith was the film's co-producer.Grebenshchikov's adventure in Western-style recording and touring (circa 1989) -- recording in London, New York and Los Angeles under the heavy signature of Eurythmics producer Dave Stewart and touring the world with a hastily assembled band of American strangers rather than Aquarium -- did fail, and for the very "heavy-handed Hollywood" reason Jo suggests.As the infamous initiator of Grebenshchikov's brave recording-filming project, I would argue that Jo's film, "The Long Way Home," was much less of a failure; it painfully documented exactly what transpired when Grebenshchikov and Aquarium met Hollywood and Columbia Records. Kudos, Jo. You captured it all so well that I couldn't watch the film for a year -- but we sure did try!Ken SchafferDirector, Belcom, Inc.