A Russian Youth written and directed by Alexander Zolotukhin wins Discovery of the Year 2019 at Nika Award...
The First World War was a tragedy that triggered a series of severe tests for the Russian people: revolution, civil war, famine, political repression, the Second World War. And all this impacted on one generation. How did they find the courage and patience to survive all the upheavals of the 20th century? What was their character like? What were they thinking and feeling? The authors of the film A Russian Youth explored exactly these questions.
The film tells the story of a simple village boy who goes to the front of the First World War with a naive juvenile dream of acquiring fame and medals. In the first battle, he loses his sight. He is left to serve as a listener — he must listen carefully through huge metal funnels and raise an alarm when enemy airplanes are approaching.
The Nika Award
The Nika Award is the main annual national film award in Russia presented by the Russian Academy of Cinema Arts and Science. It was established in 1987 in Moscow by Yuli Gusman, and ostensibly modelled on the Oscars. The Russian Academy Award takes its name from Nike, the goddess of victory. Accordingly, the prize is modelled after the sculpture of the Winged Victory of Samothrace.
The oldest professional film award in Russia, the Nika Award was established during the final years of USSR by the influential Union of Filmmakers.