Last week, the Russian Oscar Commission, which consisted of eight people in fact, chose a film worthy of representing our country in America. There were not many applicants: the film “Elena” by Andrey Zvyagintsev, the recent winner of the Venice Film Festival, the tape “Faust” by Alexander Sokurov and the final part of the trilogy “Burnt by the Sun” by Nikita Mikhalkov. The latter was chosen by the majority of votes. However, the chairman of the commission, Vladimir Menshov, flatly refused to sign the minutes of the meeting and deprived Citadel of its graduation visa.
“In this case, Mikhalkov was sure that the picture would be put forward. I don’t think it was a democratic process, although formally it was democratic, because we voted. But the people who ended up there are dependent on Mikhalkov. This relationship can be traced to who works where. And if anything, Mikhalkov can cut off their oxygen. I cannot explain such a voting outcome to others, ”Vladimir Menshov comments on the situation.
Nevertheless, the head of the Russian National Film Academy, Vladimir Naumov, said that the documents for Citadel for applying for an Oscar were already ready, the film itself already sent to the United States.
“I left the Oscars commission a long time ago, three years ago. But today’s situation made me talk about the true reasons for my exit. I got the impression that the Oscars commission does not express the opinion of the cinematographic society, ”said Andrei Konchalovsky, a former member of the commission, in connection with the situation in the commission. “The nomination of the Citadel, in my opinion, is not entirely fair. This is not a picture, this is only a part. And there are paintings that are finished. People who have not seen the three previous parts will not understand anything. Where is the general from? Why is he a soldier? Where is the girl from, who is this girl? Why is he at the dacha? What’s Stalin? So many questions, and this makes the picture unattainable. It is unprofessional not to take this into account. But it happened. Hence the indignation and scandal. Maybe good. An abscess will burst, and as a result, a new commission for the Oscars will appear, ”Konchalovsky said.