Alexander Shirvindt was posthumously awarded a special Nika Prize
Photo: Larisa KUDRYAVTSEVA/EG. Go to Photobank KP
The 37th edition of the Nika National Film Award was presented at the Mask Theatre in the capital. The best projects of the industry for 2022-2023 were recognized in 16 categories.
The event was hosted by nine actors and actresses; the entire ceremony was divided into three parts, each with three presenters. First, the winners were announced by Anastasia Talyzina, Valeria Fedorovich and Sergei Novosad, then Lyubov Konstantinova, Elena Erbakova and Lev Zulkaraev, and the evening was rounded off by Sofia Priss, Anna Peresild and Leon Kemstach.
Sergei Ursulyak’s work “The Righteous” was recognized as the best feature film. The painting is dedicated to a Red Army officer who, in 1942, rescues Jews from the occupied Belarusian lands. The main award was presented to the director and producers of the film Anton Zlatopolsky and Timur Weinstein by Andrei Konchalovsky, president of the Academy of Cinematographic Arts.
The same film received four more awards: “Best Director”, “Best Actor” (Alexander Yatsenko), “Best Cinematography”, “Best Editor”.
The award in the category “Best Actress” went to two actresses at once: two Yulias: Snigir (“For You and Me”) and Peresild (“Challenge”).
“This is my first Nika. For the first time I played a doctor, a woman so simple that, thanks to her love, she traveled to space. I wish that in our time all of us, our hearts, will not be affected by indifference, anger and hatred,” said Yulia Peresild from the stage.
Unfortunately, three people received the Nika award posthumously. Gleb Puskepalis received the award for Best Supporting Actor (“The Heart of Parma”), which was awarded to his father, Sergei Puskepalis. Composer Eduard Artemyev also received the award for “Best Music for a Film” (“Nuremberg”) posthumously; it was received by his grandson, maestro Artemy Artemyev.
Alexander Shirvindt was posthumously awarded the Academy’s “Honor and Dignity” award. Leonid Yarmolnik, who called Shirvindt his teacher, spoke about how this decision was made.
“Two years ago, the board of directors of Nika decided to award the special prize “For Honour and Dignity” to Alexander Shirvindt. And since we had a short break, Andrei Konchalovsky and Yuliy Gusman came to the Satire Theatre and after the performance in which Alexander Anatolyevich took part, they presented him with this award during a bow,” Yarmolnik noted.
Irina Rozanova (“For You and Me”) won in the category “Best Supporting Actress”. This award was the second for the artist in the same category. Andrei Smirnov received the award for Best Screenplay for the same film.
The awards for the best sound engineer work went to Andrey Khudyakov and Kirill Bodrov (“1993”). The best artists were Pavel Novikov and Vladimir Trapeznikov (“The Heart of Parma”). Nadezhda Vasilyeva and Olga Mikhailova (“Commanding the Pike”) were awarded in the category “Best Costume Designer”.
The documentary “Balabanov. Bell Tower. Requiem” by Lyubov Arkus became the best non-fiction film, and “The Nutcracker, the Piano and the Dandelion Wreath” by Irina Evteeva won in the animation category.
Young actor Makar Khlebnikov was named “Discovery of the Year” for his supporting role in the film “Bullfinch”. The project “The Word of the Child. Blood on the Asphalt” received the special award “For creative achievements in the art of television cinematography”.
“We specifically looked at the films that were nominated for the Nika in 1988-1989 to find out this time. In general, we try to stand on the shoulders of those who received this award before us. So thank you to the award and to all those who participated in it for this award, it is very valuable,” said the director of the series Zhora Kryzhovnikov from the stage.
