Pavel Priluchny and Zepyur Brutyan
Photo: MOSCOW City News Agency.
The Nika Film Award for 2022 and 2023 was presented in Moscow immediately after the ceremony. We talk about the winners and guests of the ceremony.
Actresses Anna (left) and Yulia Peresild
Photo: MOSCOW City News Agency.
Actress Yulia Peresild received the Nika award in the Best Actress category for her work in the world’s first full-length film shot in space, Challenge. Peresild tried to convince journalists before the ceremony that there is no competition between actors and projects, no resentment over someone else’s success at these awards: “Our profession is not very competitive. We all communicate and cross paths both on the sets and beyond. How can you be offended or angry? We gather here to rejoice for our colleagues.” Peresild assured that she did not experience star fever after the space flight. Although she is aware of its exclusivity, she remains the first actress in the world among professional filmmakers to take part in the shooting of a film in space: “I am glad that I was given the award not for a feat, not for heroism, but for a role. For the first time I played a doctor and, in general, a weak and very simple woman who, out of her love and desire to save a person, went into space. I really want us all to have enough strength to stay without light.” Traditionally, the movie star goes to all film events with her eldest daughter, 15-year-old Anna Peresild (daughter of Yulia and director Alexei Uchitel). So, in “Nick,” the star of the series “The Boy’s Word,” Anna Peresild, was dressed in all her finery: makeup, jewelry, heels and miniskirts.
Yulia Snigir
Photo: MOSCOW City News Agency.
This time they made an exception and named two winners in the category “Best Actress”. Yulia Snigir also received a nickname in this nomination for her work in the film “For You and Me”. Snigir responded by thanking the director of this historical drama: “The last Nika Award ceremony took place three years ago. Then actress Dasha Ekamasova said: if you want to get “Nika”, act in Smirnov’s film. At that moment I was sitting in the hall and already knew that I would be filming with Andrei Sergeevich. And I was very scared: I thought: what if I break this tradition? It will be very awkward. And today I am here and I feel love, gratitude for Andrei Sergeevich and Elena Iosifovna Smirnov and for holding an award in my hands – it’s very nice. And in general, for the fact that this film happened in my life – subtle, tender. A film that does not bring big box office figures, but makes the viewer a little better, maybe smarter.”
Yulia Peresild publicly praised her colleague Snigir: “I love Yulka very much and after watching The Master and Margarita I said a lot of important words to her for an actor. She once wrote me a huge letter after the premiere of The Battle of Sevastopol – about the film, about the role, about what happened to her while watching it. You have no idea how valuable it is to receive such a letter from a colleague. And I think it is quite logical that she and I received two “Nickies.”
The touching moment of the ceremony was noted by Yulia Peresild and other award guests: “Alexander Shirvindt – to tears… They showed excerpts from his films and speeches – laughter through tears!” The special award “For Honor and Dignity” was awarded posthumously to People’s Artist Alexander Anatolyevich Shirvindt. Leonid Yarmolnik spoke that evening about the teacher of many artists, Alexander Shirvindt: “Of course, I owe my birth and life to my father and mother. But for forty years I received instructions on how to use this life and this profession from my beloved teacher. It was he who taught me to be an artist and a person. Two years ago, the board of directors of Nika decided to present an award for honor and dignity to Alexander Anatolyevich Shirvindt. And since we had a short break, in recent years we have seen each other less often, Andrei Konchalovsky and Yuliy Gusman came to the Satire Theatre and after the performance in which Alexander Anatolyevich Shirvindt took part, they presented him with this award during their bows.”
Gleb Puskepalis
Photo: MOSCOW City News Agency.
Another touching moment of the ceremony: the “Nick” award for “Best Supporting Actor” for the father of actor Sergei Puskepalis (the film “The Heart of Parma”) was received by his son and colleague Gleb Puskepalis. Composer Eduard Artemyev (“Nuremberg”) received the posthumous award for the best music for the film; his grandson Artemy Artemyev received the “Nika” award: “I was directly involved in the composition of this music on behalf of my grandfather. This is something incredible, I hope that this music will live with us forever. Grandfather was an amazing soul who would never hurt a fly.”
Pavel Priluchny spoke about Russian cinema: “Cinema is already reaching a level where it is not a shame to award it any prizes. Cinema is moving forward with great progress and the winners are great…” And at that time his wife Zepyur was “fighting” questions about when she and Pavel’s son would have a brother or sister: “God willing. Of course, I would like a girl: curly, beautiful, cute…”
Irina Rozanova. Photo: Sergey Karpukhin/TASS
Irina Rozanova received a statuette for “Best Supporting Actress” (“For You and Me”). The actress thanked the award and wished everyone good health. And behind the scenes she spoke about the need to reward young people and at the same time answered numerous questions about how she managed to lose weight and refresh her complexion. Rozanova appears to have undergone plastic surgery, but in reality the actress is passionate and happy with the results of the gluten-free diet: she says that for her it turned out to be an effective remedy in all respects.
Director Zhora Kryzhovnikov and his wife, actress Olga Dolmatovskaya. Photo: Sergey Karpukhin/TASS
Director Zhora Kryzhovnikov and the team of the series “The Boy’s Word. Blood on the Asphalt” received a special award for the best series. Kryzhovnikov said: “We specifically reviewed those films that were nominated for Nika in the 1980s in order to get to know this era better. The coat is from Plumbum or A Dangerous Game. We tried to stand on the shoulders of those who received this award before us. Therefore, many thanks to the Nika Award and to all those involved in it.”
Makar Khlebnikov
Photo: MOSCOW City News Agency.
Who else was awarded?
Best Feature Film: “Justos”.
Best Director: Sergei Ursulyak (“Just”).
Best Screenplay: Andrey Smirnov (“For You and Me”).
Best Actor: Alexander Yatsenko (“Righteous”).
The discovery of the year is actor Makar Khlebnikov (“Bullfinch”).
Philip Kirkorov. Photo: Sergey Karpukhin/TASS
Best Non-Fiction Film – “Balabanov. Bell Tower. Requiem”.
Best Animated Feature Film: “The Nutcracker, the Piano and the Dandelion Wreath.”
Best Cinematography: Mikhail Milashin (“Justeous”).
Best editing direction: Margarita Smirnova (“Justo”).
Best Production Designer: Pavel Novikov, Vladimir Trapeznikov (“The Heart of Parma”).
The best work of the costume designer is Nadezhda Vasilyeva, Olga Mikhailova (“In Command of the Pike”).
Best Sound Engineer Work: Andrey Khudyakov, Kirill Bodrov (“1993”).
Alexander Yatsenko. Photo: Sergey Karpukhin/TASS
