Moscow Film Festival: start given – Moskovskaya Pravda

Last night, on the eve of Russian Cinema Day on August 26, The 44th Moscow International Film Festival – MIFF-2022 has solemnly started in the capital.

Despite difficult political times and the resurgent covid, despite the fact that the International Federation of Film Producers Associations announced suspension of MIFF accreditation and temporary exclusion it from the list of class “A” festivals, the film festival still took place.

The festival acquired a new team after the death of Kirill Razlogov. In the shortest possible time, having overcome the difficulties of logistics, he assembled an interesting program. A new purely Russian competition has appeared (now competitions at MIFF four). There are new interesting out-of-competition programs. Yes, and surprisingly the number of foreign guests at the festival has become almost 2.5 times more compared to last year. And all because the bet was made on a little-familiar cinemas from countries whose representatives had never made it to the MIFF before, or whose films were presented in a very limited way.

The opening ceremony of the MIFF itself began rather gloomily: Minister of Culture Olga Lyubimova, clearly agitated, entered the stage along a dark corridor and spoke about the new situation in the world, reading out a welcome address from President Vladimir Putin. She thanked the guests who dared to come to Russia, and asked to honor the deceased Daria Dugin with a minute of silence. Hall stood up.

The stage was decorated with bells of various calibers. Accompanying their chime frames of Andrei Tarkovsky’s films on the screen with the brilliant Alexander Kaidanovsky, Oleg Yankovsky, Margarita Terekhova, Donatos Banionis and little Kolya Burlyaev, reminded that the current MIFF takes place in the year of the 90th anniversary of Andrei Tarkovsky, the director whose work has firmly connected the cinema of Russia with the world cinema space.

Andrey Merzlikin, host of the ceremony, took the stage and invited PMIFF resident Nikita Mikhalkov. Nikita Sergeevich literally said the following: “It is very important that we here and in the country in general feel that without our help, at least internal, it is very difficult for those people who today participate in the birth of a new world and a new country. I understand that there are a fairly large number of people in the hall who think that everything will be the way it was. As it was, it will no longer be. Never. This is very important to take seriously. And the way it will be depends on those who will understand today that the way it was will no longer be. It is within our power. This is our duty. Because we see how they are trying to cancel Russian culture, to humiliate any of our people – regardless of nationality – who has a Russian passport in his pocket, we must understand: no one but ourselves will help us.

Nikita Sergeevich concluded his speech by laying a symbol of power – a chain with the image of St. victorious, to the chairman of the jury of the main competition Evgeny Mironov.

Mironov, in turn, presented the award “I Believe! Konstantin Stanislavsky” for conquering the heights of acting skills Konstantin Khabensky, recently headed the Moscow Art Theater.

Khabensky, knowing full well the level of world stars who had previously received this award, joked that nevertheless “accept her.” Despite all the questions addressed to him in this regard. Will accept as an advance payment for a possible future contribution to the cinema.

An excellent part of the ceremony was a detailed presentation of films, participants in competitive programs. Viewers in a dynamic video compilation already at the opening, they were able to decide what kind of movie they would like to see.

When is the final under the ringing of bells, old chronicle military footage and grief-stricken faces reappeared on the screen, the festively dressed crowd became massively leave the hall.

The film “The Heart of Parma” by Anton Megerdichev was shown after the break.

Elena Bulova

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