On October 17th and 18th, as part of the Bahrain Film Festival, two Russian films are being screened—Klim Shipenko's comedy “Son of a Rich” and Valery Todorovsky's ballet drama “Bolshoi”. Screenings under the Russian Film Festival Spotlight brand will be held in Bahrain for the first time. The event was organized by ROSKINO with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation. The screenings are at the Cineco cinema in Manama.
ROSKINO CEO Inna Shalyto says: “Bahrain is an important Russian partner in the Arab world, and we plan to expand our cultural interaction with the Kingdom. Being part of the Bahrain Film Festival and showing local viewers modern Russian films is another step towards the popularization of Russian cinema and our talent in the region. We have brought to Bahrain the comedy Son of a Rich, the highest-grossing Russian film of all time—the rights to which have already been acquired by several countries—and a drama about the world of ballet: Bolshoi. Russian ballet is appreciated all over the world, and I think that the story of a young ballerina's path to success will be of interest to the Bahraini audiences.”
The program of the Russian Film Festival Spotlight in Bahrain includes two films. The comedy “Son of a Rich” by Klim Shipenko is the highest-grossing Russian film of all time. Miloš Biković plays the title role. The film tells the story of the re-education of the spoiled, selfish Grisha, who, one not very fine day after an accident, comes to his senses ... in 1860 on a lord’s estate. He has become an ordinary serf, incommunicado and without any connections. There are no smartphones here, and he is surrounded by serfs. Grisha has to travel a difficult path in order to turn from the impudent son of rich parents into a person who knows how to appreciate the simple things, knows how to make friends, and, of course, knows what love means. The rights to remake “Son of a Rich” have been acquired by several countries, including China. The second part of the film is currently being filmed.
The drama “Bolshoi”, by Valery Todorovsky, is a film about Yulia, a young and talented dancer from a small mining town. Against all odds, she is noticed by a former ballet dancer who sees in her a potentially great ballerina. However, in order to become a diamond, the raw material needs pressure and polishing. The way to the legendary stage of the Bolshoi Theater for Yulia lies through ballet school, where an even more wilful teacher takes care of the recalcitrant provincial. Becoming a prima ballerina will require incredible self-denial. The roles in the film were performed by more than 70 professional ballet dancers.
The Russian Film Festival has been held by ROSKINO with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation since 2020. The main goal of the Russian Film Festival is to introduce international viewers to the diversity of modern Russian cinema content: from TV series and feature films of different genres to animation and documentaries. In 2020–2021 the festival was held in 23 countries, gathering more than a million viewers. In 2022, the Russian Film Festival has already been held in Brazil, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Jordan, Belarus, Uzbekistan, and other countries. The RFF format includes both online screenings and offline events.
