The Russian Film Week festival returned to the UK capital last Sunday with a premiere of Captain Volkonogov Escaped at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square in London.
The directors and stars of the thriller, which was directed by Natasha Merkulova and Alexey Chupov, gave a warm welcome to the guests via a video message (due to Covid and travel restrictions). Director Natasha Merkulova said, “Throughout history, every day, somewhere in the world, some people have tortured others. In addition, it is still happening in the twenty-first century. It is a universal problem, and each of us should personally reflect on it.”
The movie is loosely based on events of 1930’s Russia and is not a literal recreation of historic events, but rather an allegorical drama set in 1930s Leningrad, during Stalin’s purges when everyone was a suspect. The film tells a story of an obedient law enforcer on the run: in his attempt to escape purges Volkonogov tries to find a way to repent, but his time is running out.
Captain Volkonogov Escaped received high praise by critics during its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival earlier this year, where it was the only Russian film in the festival’s main programme.
The opening gripping thriller is one of 44 movies on the festival line up (24 feature films and 20 short films) that will screen in London and Cambridge. The full programme can be found here: www.russianfilmweek.org
Audiences will have access to both in-person and digital programming: for the duration of the RFW 2021, short films will be available to watch via the RFW online platform: russianfilmweek1.vhx.tv
All movies of the RFW2021 will be shown in their original language with English subtitles.
The Russian Film Week culminates with the Golden Unicorn Awards ceremony held at the Haymarket Theatre on 5 December 2021. It will celebrate achievements of Russian cinematography and international filmmakers creating Russian-themed films. The awards have two separate juries: an international and a Russian jury, providing a unique opportunity to recognise both Russian and foreign films through a cross-cultural lens.
The Casting Bridge International Forum, held annually as part of Russian Film Week in the UK, will take place on 1-2 December in London.
All information can be found here: www.russianfilmweek.org