Russian Film Week Festival Returns to London at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square
The Russian Film Week festival returned to the UK capital on Sunday with a premiere of Captain Volkonogov Escaped at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square in London.
Speaking about the London premiere, directors of the movie expressed particular appreciation for the venue: ‘We are honoured that the UK premiere of our film will take place at the legendary Odeon Luxe, a landmark place for history of world cinema’.
The directors and stars of the thriller, which was directed by Natasha Merkulova and Alexey Chupov, gave a warm welcome to the guests via video message. A lot of talent, we learned, are unable to attend in person due to 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 attendees were welcomed to the red-carpet ceremony and later entertained at Kaspersky Opening party at the W Hotel. With impressive film programme including forty-two films and a lot of UK premieres, the festival brings some of the best of the art house cinema and contemporary Russian cinema to the UK audiences.
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.
Editor in Chief of Ikon London Magazine, journalist, film producer and founder of The DAFTA Film Awards (The DAFTAs).
