Cinema mirrors life: the heroes needed by Russia’s film industry discussed at the National Centre RUSSIA

The qualities that set heroes of Russian cinema apart from Western ones lie in their role as carriers of meaning and traditional values. This was stated by Alexander Zhuravsky during the scientific and business programme of the film award "Heroes of a Great Country" at the National Centre RUSSIA. 

"What kind of hero resonates with audiences today? First of all, someone who feels close and relatable in age and experience. This is important because Western heroes follow a different model. They are mostly superheroes whose powers are not earned through effort or struggle. They receive them by inheritance, by nature, or from aliens. Our hero is a real person. He lives by values such as self-sacrifice, makes difficult choices, faces hardship and ultimately prevails," Alexander Zhuravsky said.

He noted that over the five years of the "Heroes of a Great Country" award, Russian cinema has changed significantly, largely due to shifts within the industry itself. According to him, professionals increasingly speak about impact content — projects built around values. Alexander Zhuravsky stressed that socially meaningful content does not have to be heavy or purely dramatic: it can be engaging and even uplifting while still addressing serious social and moral issues.

According to the General Producer of the "Heroes of a Great Country" film award, Mikhail Churbanov, many contemporary Russian films and series focus on today’s heroes and look towards the future.

"Everything we draw from the present — and especially from history — can carry us forward. When there is nothing to take with us, problems begin. That is why the industry’s careful attention to both our past and our present is extremely important today. We must not simply produce films, but create works. That word — 'work' — matters, because such films live on for decades. Children aged ten to twenty will watch them today, and in thirty years those same people will be shaping the country," Mikhail Churbanov explained.

The "Heroes of a Great Country" film award is taking place at the National Centre RUSSIA on 11 and 12 February. On the first day of the scientific and business programme, experts discussed the role of cinema in modern life, including how films influence the formation of values, meaning and perception. Representatives of the film industry, public authorities, the expert community, business and youth organisations are taking part in the discussions. The programme continues on 12 February and will conclude with the awards ceremony of the National Film Award "Heroes of a Great Country".

A total of 532 projects have been submitted for consideration. Awards will be presented in 19 categories. Fifty-five films and series were selected for the short list under the criteria "industrial quality" and "17 values — the image of the hero". Among them are "I Am a Mother", "Lilies. Such a Tender Love", "At the Edge of the Abyss", "Catherine the Great", "Curious Varvara", "Wounded Belgorod", "Victory", "Warsaw’21", "Dear Willy" and others. The livestream will be available on the website of the National Centre RUSSIA.