Successful Premiere of Russian Film "Vnuk" in Antalya

The title "Vnuk" indicates that the primary audience is the youth. Photo: Film Poster

Producer Churilova Unveils Details of "Vnuk" Premiere in Antalya

Russian culture, particularly cinema, confidently marches across the planet: the premiere of the young patriotic military film "Vnuk" directed by Timur Garafutdinov and produced by Tatiana Churilova, produced by "Tesstimfilms," took place in the Turkish city of Antalya.

In the film's plot, the grandfather of the main character Yuri is hospitalized after recognizing his wartime enemy in a television report about the Great Patriotic War. Yuri decides to arrange a meeting between his grandfather and SS Untersturmführer Alfred Weber.

"When creating the film, we received support from the Russian Parliamentary Club, and our beloved national actors Angelina Vovk, Yuri Nazarov, Alexey Mikhailov, and bikers from the 'Night Wolves' club with their president Alexander Zaldastanov (Surgeon) took part," shares Tatiana Churilova with KP.RU correspondent.

"Turkey is the first country where you showed your film?"

"It’s actually the third one. In early May, we had a screening in Greece. Despite the rise of Russophobia in this country, they provided us with a historic movie theater in the center of Athens for free. The Russian-Greek community 'Emigrant' supported us greatly, spreading information about the film. Some viewers even came to the premiere in Soviet military uniforms on the eve of Victory Day. After the screening, no one immediately left. I think this is the best recognition of the film and the greatest emotional experience for its creators."

Churilova adds that the title "Vnuk" (Grandson) indicates who the main audience is, which is the youth.

"We deliberately avoided a didactic tone in the film and showed the main character as he could be in modern times. The film is not so much about war as it is about the interconnectedness of everything in life, and all nations share the same concerns, emotions, and experiences. We are all interdependent in one way or another."

Churilova mentioned that despite sanctions and the "cancellation" of Russian culture, the film "Vnuk" was awarded in the category of "Best Feature Film" at the IndieFest Film Awards in the United States.

"I still find it hard to believe. This shows that international Russophobia is not total, and we should not back down but move forward regardless and promote our ideas, protect our culture," she believes.

The premiere in Turkey was supported by the Antalya municipality, and candidate for parliament from the Republican People's Party, Ramiz Atahan, also provided significant assistance. By the way, city administration officials led by Mayor Müfit Böcek attended the premiere with their families. Local media also attended, turning the presentation of the Russian film, which the creators translated into Turkish, into a significant international event.

Before the film screening, Mayor Böcek addressed the residents in Russian.

"The significance of showing a film like 'Vnuk' in Turkey at such a difficult time cannot be overstated," he said. "It contributes to maintaining cultural ties between Russia and Turkey."

The film's director, Timur Garafutdinov, doesn't hide his overwhelming emotions about the premiere of his creation:

"This is a holiday for me and our team. There were many viewers. Turks warmly welcomed the film, and after the screening, they approached us to express their thanks. They mentioned that the USSR liberated humanity from fascism and paid the highest price for it. I was amazed that almost everyone remembered that Russia helped young Turkey win its independence war in the 1920s. The Turkish people will never forget this and will always be grateful to Russia for this assistance."

According to Garafutdinov, the film's creators prepared for the screening in Turkey in an extremely short time.

"We prepared the film for screening in Turkey in just seven days, even though such events typically take at least six months and involve a large team of professionals. Everything went at the highest level, about a thousand viewers attended, and it all felt very warm and family-like. I felt like I was in Russia at the premiere in the Moscow 'October' cinema. At that moment, I clearly understood: Turkey is a friend to Russia! Our countries today have many similar views, and we need to cooperate to strengthen our relations."

The film's creators held a separate meeting with the leadership of Antalya and agreed on new joint cultural projects that will bring the Russian and Turkish peoples even closer together.

Alena PALAZHCHENKO | Sobkor "Komsomolskaya Pravda" in Turkey