Cinema about SVO: Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives collected applications

The Russian film “Cheburashka” collected more than 3 billion rubles at the box office. Its success is at least partially expected to be repeated by scriptwriters who have applied for grants to the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives. Focusing on the words of Vladimir Putin, they want to make patriotic films that promote traditional Russian values. Such films, of course, will not replace Hollywood blockbusters, but there is nowhere to go: in order to maintain film distribution in the country, according to the Ministry of Culture, it is necessary to release at least 300 films a year. In addition, politicians have long been demanding that filmmakers turn to the subject of SVO and show the Russians “their heroes” on a wide screen.

The Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives has collected applications for the first competition of 2023, the results of which will be summed up on March 10. The total fund of allocated grants is 4 billion rubles. According to the regulation, the submitted projects must correspond to one of 9 thematic areas – “Nation of creators”, “Cultural code”, “Great Russian word”, “Young leaders”, “I am proud”, “Place of power”, “History of the country”, “ Multinational people” and “We are together”. The last direction implies initiatives related to the special operation in the Donbass, it is specified on the forum website. Applications for filming feature films, documentaries or animated films were submitted as “creative industries projects”. In total, over 1,600 applications were submitted in this category, of which approximately 30% are related to cinema.

Feature films with a patriotic content became record holders for the amounts requested from the Presidential Fund. Thus, the state is invited to allocate 166.4 million rubles for the filming of the film under the working title “Painted-Z”. with a total cost of the tape 290.8 million rubles. (The rest of the funds, according to the rules of the competition, must be found by the applicants themselves). “According to the plot, a group of foreign journalists, having got to Ukraine, sees the TRUTH and understands that the whole world has been deceived. They include data on the crimes of the Nazis, as well as data on the preparation of a war against Russia by NATO forces (launching a nuclear strike from the territory of Ukraine). Foreign mercenaries are tasked with killing journalists (the US does not want the truth to come out). A group of Russian special forces is assigned the task of rescuing journalists,” the substantiation of the application says (spelling preserved). The film “Painted-Z”, according to the authors, is designed for a wide audience over the age of 14, since its genre combines several directions at once – drama, melodrama, humor and action. The relevance of the project, without which no money will be given, is confirmed by the intention to “tell the truth about the events in Ukraine”: the tape is planned to be dubbed into foreign languages ​​and “placed on various Internet platforms.”

A slightly smaller, but also significant amount (116.1 million rubles) is requested from the Presidential Fund for the film Demonstration of the Flag, which, according to the application, will tell about the debt of honor, heroism, courage, love for the motherland, for the sky, for aircraft. “He will tell how Russian carrier-based aviation rose and became (not a single film has been shot in Russia on this topic yet), will reveal to the viewer the names of hero pilots – Timur Apakidze, Sergey Melnikov, Alexander Raevsky, and will also show the beauty and power of the Russian aircraft-carrying cruiser “Admiral Kuznetsov”,” the authors report. Through showing the life and life of cadets of naval schools, the younger generation is planned to form a positive image of military institutions and increase the prestige of an officer’s career. Russia has many heroes of its own – the time has come to “promote them to the masses with all the tools of modern marketing and mass art.” “Then our children will play Motorola, Struna, Korsa and wear merch with portraits of Dasha Dugina and Comandante Mozgovoy,” the applicants explain the relevance of their film project.

Similar goals – to promote “their heroes” to the masses – are pursued by the authors of the film “Nikita Will Come and Pobedit”, for the filming of which a presidential grant of 7.3 million rubles is required. It will be a story “about a modern young guy, of which there are hundreds of thousands, and maybe millions in Russia.” He lived like everyone else, but one day it was time to make a man’s decision. He accepted it and became a hero. The plot, according to the applicants, is based on real events: paratrooper Nikita Samoilov, who died near Kyiv in 2022, will become the prototype of Nikita.

A good ending is expected in the tape “While I was looking for you”, which is distinguished by a dashing plot and great ambitions. Its main character, a Muscovite who “burns his life on the money of rich parents,” goes to Donbass among the activists of the Popular Front. On the one hand, to provide humanitarian assistance. But the main thing is “to look for your beloved, a native of the Donetsk region, thereby erasing the border between citizens of Russia and new regions.” There, in a new environment, he is born again – completely changes his life and acquires new guidelines. The authors of the application claim that their film is “a more socialized and politically meaningful version of Kholop”, which, before the appearance of Cheburashka, was considered the most successful domestic product at the box office. And they ask for 60.1 million rubles to implement their plan.

Another film about SVO is called “Heirs” (a grant of 9.1 million rubles is required). “Yesterday’s students in the trenches continue to read notes, and most importantly, they continue to love, be loved, break and build relationships. An elderly teacher, who herself survived the Great Patriotic War and knows how not to lose important landmarks in wartime, helps them not to lose touch with “peaceful life.” This is how the plot of the tape is described, which, according to the authors, will not only motivate the younger generation to fulfill a “special mission” in Donbas, but also educate. The “video letters” of students from the trenches and a teacher will tell viewers “about the latest scientific discoveries, the development of artificial intelligence, and most importantly, about simple human relationships and experiences,” the application says.

In addition to films about NWO, historical films, also related to patriotic themes, are a popular genre among applicants. In particular, a series about Princess Olga (49.7 million rubles is needed), intended for display on a federal television channel, and a tape dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya, the authors of which want to draw a “parallel between the current geopolitical situation and the exploits of WWII” and “to demonstrate the continuity and connection of generations on the example of women of different ages, bearing the name Zoya.”

Several applications received by the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives are aimed at children. But looking for entertainment content in them is still useless. The authors of the feature film “Mig” aim to draw the attention of the younger generation to such a topic as solidarity in the fight against terrorism: the key moment, according to them, will be the ending, “where the boy learns that his father was the hero of the anti-terrorist operation and in the credits the names and exploits of people who fought against terrorism will be indicated. Another children’s film “OFFLINE” will be instructive and will tell children about the importance of living a real life, not a virtual one. “Dependence on phones, the Internet and social networks is the scourge of today’s youth. For several years now, the number of children who cannot do without gadgets is 85%. These figures cannot but frighten,” the authors are indignant. RUB 9.6 million required for the shooting of the animated film “Baby T-34”. As the name suggests, his hero will be a tank. And in addition to the events of the Great Patriotic War, the scriptwriters want to show the children “the modern tragic consequences of Russophobia in the Baltic States.” “The task is to capture the crimes against history, and to give an unambiguous assessment of these actions,” they point out. And even the cartoon “Fyodor Ushakov: Admiral from God!” it is supposed to shoot not in order to captivate children with an exciting historical plot, but to develop “healthy emotional intelligence”, “strengthen civic identity” and teach “intuitively choose positive behaviors.” The implementation of the stated goals with the help of Fedor Ushakov is estimated at 69.7 million rubles.