The Russian Film Festival has kicked off at the capital's "Manas" cinema as part of the Days of Russian Culture, where viewers can enjoy the most relevant new releases of Russian cinema.
At the opening ceremony, the Minister of Culture of Russia, Olga Lyubimova, and her Kyrgyz counterpart, Mirbek Mambetaliev, were present, who congratulated everyone gathered on the beginning of this bright event.
“The festival symbolizes that cinema remains a powerful bridge of friendship and mutual understanding between our peoples,” noted Mambetaliev. “The Days of Russian Cinema are not only a chance to see the best modern films but also to feel the spiritual closeness that has developed over many years.”
He added that cooperation in the field of cinema is one of the priority areas of interaction between Kyrgyzstan and Russia.
The cinematography of Kyrgyzstan has deep roots in the Russian film school. Many talented directors and screenwriters from Kyrgyzstan studied at VGIK and worked at the studios "Mosfilm" and "Lenfilm," creating joint projects that have entered the treasury of world cinematography.
Mirbek Mambetaliev
The minister also thanked the State Central Museum of Cinema of Russia for organizing an exhibition dedicated to the history of Kyrgyz cinema.
Olga Lyubimova emphasized the importance of cultural interaction, which plays a key role in strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries.
“Our peoples are connected by historical friendship and a level of cooperation that allows us to create vibrant bilateral projects, such as the Days of Culture and film festivals. This year we are celebrating an important anniversary — the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, and some of the films presented are dedicated to the feats of the soldiers of the Soviet army,” she noted.
The festival opened with the screening of the war drama "August," which tells about the activities of Soviet counterintelligence during the war. Director Nikita Vysotsky specifically came to Bishkek to share his experience with the audience.
“It is a great honor for us to participate in such a significant festival in Kyrgyzstan. This is not the first adaptation of Vladimir Bogomolov's novel 'Moment of Truth,' and the film continues to attract viewers in Russian cinemas. It is a story about war, people, and their quest for truth,” he emphasized.
Vysotsky noted that there are strong ties and cooperation in the field of culture between the two countries, and Kyrgyz films were recently shown in cinemas in St. Petersburg as part of the CIS Film Days.
Actor Kirill Kuznetsov, who starred in "August," shared his impressions of the filming process with the Bishkek audience.
During the work on the role, I do not think about whether I am immersing myself in the character. It is important that our work meets the tasks set by the director. The quality of the film depends on this.
Kirill Kuznetsov
The director of another film presented at the festival, "Not Listed," Sergey Korotaev, called the story by Boris Vasilyev, on which the film is based, a touching work. He shared that about a thousand people worked on the project, and the creators aimed to combine spectacle with depth.
“To allow viewers to feel the experiences of the characters, it is important to immerse them in the atmosphere of the first days of the siege of Brest Fortress. This was the first blow of the fascists against the USSR, and young fighters participated in it. We used special effects to make the film more appealing to viewers,” noted the director.
From October 29 to November 1, the festival will showcase films such as "Love of the Soviet Union" by Nikita Vysotsky, "Not Listed" by Sergey Korotaev, the animated film "Doctor Dinosaurs" by Maxim Volkov, the sports biopic "First on Olympus" by Artem Mikhalkov, and the sci-fi film "Kraken" by Nikolai Lebedev.
