Camera, motor, let's film! On August 27 we celebrate Russian Cinema Day

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Russian Cinema Day is a wonderful holiday dedicated to one of the most popular forms of art. It is celebrated not only by cinema workers, but also by ordinary viewers and film lovers. The holiday is intended to remind us of the undoubted importance of cinema in the cultural life of modern people, its influence on the worldview and the formation of moral values.

history of the holiday

The birthday of Russian cinema dates back to August 27, 1919. Then a decree was issued on the nationalization (appropriation by the state of private property and its further management in its interests) of the video industry. In the Soviet Union, this professional holiday began to be celebrated at the official level only in 1980 and was called “Soviet Cinema Day.” The event was established by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated October 1, 1980 No. 3018-X “On holidays and memorable days.” After 8 years, it was renamed “Cinema Day.”

Since the advent of the Russian Federation, the date and month of honoring this profession have been postponed many times. The holiday was combined with other related thematic events, but in the end the Cinematography Service of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation decided in 2001 that Russian cinema should have its own independent date.

The most successful film directors of Russia

Figure 3. Timur Bekmambetov is the most successful Russian film director, according to Forbes magazine

Forbes magazine published a list of the most successful Russian film directors. The rating results depended solely on financial success, and not on the creative and artistic component of the director's work. The income of domestic meters is estimated as follows:

1. Timur Bekmambetov – his most successful work is considered to be the film “Wanted”, the box office receipts of which amounted to $341 million. But he is better known to viewers from other films, such as “Yolki”, “Day Watch” and “Night Watch”.
2. Fyodor Bondarchuk is the famous son of a famous father. He has such successful projects as “9th Company”, “Stalingrad” and “Attraction”.
3. Nikolai Lebedev – the director’s highest-grossing projects: “Wolfhound”, “Legend 17”, “Crew”.
4. Dmitry Dyachenko - the films “What Men Talk About” and “Radio Day” brought him fame and money.
5. Zhora Kryzhovnikov is the director of several comedy projects at the box office: “Gorko”, “Gorko 2!”, “The Best Day”.

In addition, the Forbes rating includes such domestic film directors as Andrei Kravchuk, Kirill Kuzin, Anton Megerdichev, Dmitry Kiselev and others.

Holiday traditions

Russian Cinema Day 2022 is marked by honoring everyone involved in this art form. Colleagues, friends, relatives, acquaintances and close people gather at the ceremonial tables. There are congratulations, toasts, clinking glasses, wishes for health and success. Once again, the fruits of the directors’ labors are discussed, and assessments are given to domestic and foreign works.

Officials of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation congratulate on this significant date, present awards, certificates of honor and valuable gifts to industry workers for their outstanding contribution to its development. Russia's top officials give speeches of gratitude in which they mention the achievements and difficulties of this sphere of art.

Cultural institutions organize film screenings of new and well-established works. Television and radio stations allocate airtime to broadcast programs dedicated to Russian Cinema Day, its history, and announcements of new products. Students of specialized educational institutions prepare their own works and show them to fellow students, teachers and those invited to the review.

List of films that have received worldwide recognition

Figure 4. Luciano Visconti congratulates Tatyana Samoilova after the victory of the film “The Cranes Are Flying” at the Cannes Film Festival

We present the TOP 5 Russian films that have received worldwide recognition:

1. “War and Peace” is a film by Sergei Bondarchuk, based on the novel of the same name by L.V. Tolstoy. One of the highest-budget films of its time received an Oscar for “Best Foreign Film in a Foreign Language.”
2. “Moscow does not believe in tears” - this picture forever won the hearts of not only domestic viewers, but also the whole world. The director learned that the film was awarded an Oscar from the Vremya program. Vladimir Menshov received the well-deserved award in 1999.
3. “Burnt by the Sun” is another Russian film that won an Oscar. The director, who is also the main character of the film, is Sergei Mikhalkov. The role of Marusya was performed by Ingeborga Dapkunaite.
4. “The Cranes Are Flying” - at the Cannes Film Festival in 1958, the film was awarded the Palme d'Or. The film, directed by Vladimir Kalatozov, is based on the play “Forever Alive” by Viktor Rozov.
5. “Leviathan” - in 2015, the Russian drama received the American Golden Globe Award. Director Andrey Zvyagintsev presented a modern interpretation of the biblical story of Job.

Interesting Facts

• In different countries of the world, cinemas sell their own traditional food. So in Greece you can often see souvlaki (kebabs). Fruit chewing marmalade is popular in Finland. Residents of the Netherlands prefer licorice candies, with salted licorice being a favorite. Israelis enjoy falafel - balls of chopped chickpeas (chickpeas). Salted prunes are popular in China and Mexico.
• Cinematography dates back to 1895. Its founders are the Lumiere brothers. Interestingly, they did not believe in the future of this industry and believed that people's interest in this type of entertainment would quickly fade away.
• India is the country that holds the record for the number of films produced. About 700 films are released in this state every year. Indian cinema is in great demand, since the country's poor cannot afford to buy a television, and spend their free time in cinemas, where tickets are very cheap.
• In America, telephone companies have allocated numbers in the range from 555-0100 to 555-0199 for use in films, TV series and computer games. This was done as a security measure so that fans would not bother citizens with calls.
• The most popular film hero is Sherlock Holmes. There are about 200 films in which this character appears.
• The most famous dog in cinema was Lassie, who appeared in 50 different films. Due to the fact that the life of dogs is not as long as that of a human, 8 generations of collies have played the role of Lassie.

Ours at the cinema

Thomas Edison was the first to create the illusion of an image. He developed a special device called a “kinetoscope”, with its help moving frames were viewed. But the French Lumiere brothers are considered the founders of cinema. In 1895, using a device that was given the name “cinematograph,” they showed the video “The Arrival of a Train.” The first film show in Imperial Russia took place on October 15, 1908. The painting “Ponizovaya Volnitsa” about Stepan Razin. Viewers did not have the opportunity to enjoy the show for a long time, since the duration of the black and white film without sound was about 7 minutes. Despite the simple direction and acting, the first special effect was used in this work. Special stitching of frames during editing gracefully hid the moment when the real actress was replaced with a mannequin, which was later thrown into the water. 18 years later, the legendary “Battleship Potemkin” by Sergei Ezenstein appeared. The red waving flag became the first color frame in our cinema. According to the results of surveys of film critics, directors and viewers, he was recognized as the best in the entire existence of this art. Another breakthrough in cinema can be considered the film “A Start to Life” by Nikolai Ek. Sound appeared in 1923. There was a huge breakthrough in the 1930s. The silent black and white palette was replaced by a colorful palette of excellent quality. The USSR authorities believed that cinema was an excellent way to educate the Soviet people. It was during this period that huge amounts of money were invested in the film industry. These paintings have long become a real cultural heritage of Russia. At the end of the 1980s, cinema in the country was experiencing a serious crisis. The cinema of the 1990s shocked, and after the 2000s it began to recover at a slow pace. High quality works and young talents began to appear.

Toasts

“Cinema is undoubtedly the most beloved and popular art form in modern society. On Russian Cinema Day, we want to congratulate everyone who is directly involved in the process of creating films, great creative prospects and loyal viewers, inspiration and good mood! Successful implementation of all your ideas and plans!

“Today is Russian Cinema Day! This is a significant date for the cinema of our country, and we could not leave it unnoticed. On this day, we wish venerable filmmakers, as well as emerging talents, to achieve maximum heights in their profession, glorifying the film industry of their country. Get joy and satisfaction from your relevance and the contribution that each of them brings to the development of Russian cinema.”

“Happy Russian Cinema Day. I wish you only high-quality, exciting, exciting, interesting, touching, colorful, emotional, luxurious, life-like, unique films and, of course, excellent company in which to watch them.”

Who's celebrating

This holiday embraces all people who have anything to do with the art of creating films: producers, directors, cameramen, screenwriters, actors, stuntmen. Even people of related professions who are part of the film crew note that the process on set would not move a millimeter without them. These are makeup artists, cooks, drivers, lighting technicians, editors, prop masters, decorators, riggers, costume designers and supervisors. The celebration concerns even the most ordinary viewers who simply love to watch and admire cinema as art. Those celebrating the holiday also include teachers and students of specialized higher educational institutions that are associated with cinema. As well as employees, cinema directors and distributors.

Present

Tickets. Tickets to a world premiere of a movie or a film festival will be an excellent gift for a person whose profession is related to the film industry and for someone who simply loves this type of art.

Popcorn machine. This popcorn maker makes a great gift for a movie lover. This device will allow you to enjoy your favorite treat while watching movies, even at home.

Home cinema. A home theater will be a wonderful gift for movie lovers. High-quality equipment will allow you to enjoy colorful images and surround sound without leaving your home.

Poster. A poster depicting the characters of your favorite film or television series will be an excellent themed gift for the holiday.

Contemporary cinema

Today, hearing the magical crackle of a movie camera is almost the same as hearing the voices of those who lived many years ago. Modern technology has rapidly invaded and virtually taken over the film industry. For 100 years, cinema has experienced all the advantages of progress of the 21st century. It has become possible to embody the most fantastic ideas in films. Modern cinema is more likely to entertain, thanks to excellent graphics, special effects, stunts and three-dimensional 3D reality. Currently, various films are being filmed. There are more than 50 film studios in the country. Over 100 films are released annually. Film festivals, screenings and even film weeks are held. Our filmmakers deserve their own holiday with their work and brilliant ideas.

Competitions

Guess the quote To conduct the competition, you need to prepare a selection of famous quotes from films in advance. The presenter reads quotes one by one, and guests of the holiday guess the names of the films in which they sounded. One point is given for each correct answer. The participant with the most points wins.

Silent films Before the start of the competition, the presenter needs to prepare cards with the names of famous films. Participants in the competition take turns drawing cards at random. The contestants' task is to show a scene from the film without words, so that the guests of the holiday can guess what film they are talking about. The first one to name the correct answer is the next one to enter the game.

Guess the melody To conduct the competition you need to find melodies from famous films. The presenter takes turns turning on musical compositions. The participants' task is to guess as quickly as possible which movie the reproduced melody was played in. The participant with the most correct answers wins.

About the profession

Cinematography deals with the creation of video recordings. This activity refers to the arts producing feature films, documentaries, and animation. Cinematography is a branch of the economy and has a predominantly commercial orientation or pursues propaganda purposes. It gained wide popularity due to the availability of recording and playback tools.

Filmmakers combine broad areas of this art. The quality of the finished product depends on the combination of their talents. The path to the profession begins with training in specialized cultural educational institutions. Graduates master the intricacies of this specialty and prepare their diploma theses.

The commercial direction of this industry in Russia is poorly developed compared to the West. It largely depends on investors and government funding. Films made with money from the country's budget often have pronounced propaganda features, which alienates both domestic and foreign viewers. The subject matter of the filmed product sometimes draws criticism from industry experts and ordinary people for its lack of cultural and artistic value. There are very few works that are widely known and popular abroad.