The Thai audience was presented with five contemporary Russian films: “The One”, a dramatic thriller based on real events, the comedy “Desperate for marriage”, the Sci-Fi thriller “Sputnik”, the ballet drama “The Bolshoi” and “Kid-e-Cats”, an animated series for the youngest film lovers. Russian cinema was received very warmly by the local audience, with more than 1000 people attending the viewings. The favorite amongst the local public was the drama about the path of a young dancer to the top of the ballet world - in Valeriy Todorovskiy’s film “The Bolshoi”.
The Russian films weekend was opened by the ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Kingdom of Thailand, Evgenii Tomihin: “Our embassy has organized viewings of Russian films before in Thailand but never on such a large scale. This year, we are celebrating 125 years of diplomatic ties between our countries. This event is yet another testament to our friendship and the close ties between us.” Evgenii Tomihin noted that this festival is a great opportunity to introduce Thai citizens to Russian movies filmed in recent times. “It is an opportunity for our Thai friends to connect with our film industry and find out a little more about Russia”, he added.
The Russian Film Festival opened with a showing of “The One”, a film about Larisa Savitskaya - the sole survivor of a terrible plane crash on the August 24th, 1981. After the showcase, the audience, and representatives of the Thai film industry who were present at the showing, discussed the film. Famous film critics participated in the discussion.
The Russian Film Festival attracted a large audience amongst the youth. Many of the audience members were students from local universities. Also, the animated film “Kid-e-Cats” was attended by young residents from the centers for children with disabilities.
At the end of the Russian Film Festival, the ambassador of Russia to Thailand, Evgenii Tomihin, expressed his wishes that hosting Russian Film Festivals would become an annual tradition in Thailand. He also expressed his readiness for further cooperation in the interests of promoting the Russian film industry amongst the Thai people. Mister Tomihin also noted that the Russian Film Festival was one of the highlights of the 125th anniversary of Russian and Thai relations.
Program of the Russian Film Festival in Thailand:
- “The One” (director: Dmitriy Suvorov, 2022) – a dramatic thriller based on real events. August 24th, 1981, newlyweds Larisa and Vladimir Savitsky board a plane heading from Komsomolsk on Amur to Blagoveshensk. Half an hour before landing, Flight AH-24 collides with another aircraft and falls apart at an altitude of 5 kilometers. No one should have survived – but a miracle happens – Larisa awakes amidst the ruins of the plane, in the middle of the taiga.
- “Desperate for marriage” (director: Sonia Karpunina, 2022) – a romantic comedy about a journalist whose life is going according to plan: she’s an anchor on a TV show with a successful, wealthy fiancé. Her plans come apart when a random encounter triggers an entire series of events that flip her life upside down.
- “Sputnik” (director Yegor Abramenko, 2020) – a captivating thriller set in 1980s USSR. A Soviet cosmonaut returns to earth with a strange creature… Inside his own body. Inside the secret laboratory of a town that officially doesn’t exist, a young neurologist tries to save the man’s life from the beast within him. She soon realizes that her feelings for her patient are far more than merely professional…
- “The Bolshoi” (durector: Valeriy Todorovskiy, 2017) – a Russian drama film about a young dancer, Yulia, who receives an opportunity to perform onstage at the Bolshoi Theater. However, to become truly valuable, even the most precious of diamonds need to be carved out. For Yulia, the path to the Bolshoi Theater stage lies through the rigors of ballet school. To become a star, many sacrifices need to be made… However, no obstacle can ever stop a person with a big dream…