MOSCOW — Alexander Sokurov’s Faust was celebrated as the best film at the Nika award ceremony, which was held in Moscow on Tuesday, while Andrei Proshkin’s Orda (The Horde) scooped the largest number of trophies.
Faust, which collected the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and the local critics’ White Elephant award, competed in the best film category with The Horde, Pavel Lungin’s Dirizhyor (Conductor), Avdotya Smirnova’s Kokoko and Karen Shakhnazarov’s Bely Tigr (White Tiger).
At the Nikas, Faust also picked up the best director award for Sokurov, the best script award for Yuri Arabov, who, incidentally, also wrote The Horde and was nominated for both, and the best actor award for Anton Adasinsky, shared with The Horde’s Maxim Sukhanov.
The Horde, which was nominated in eleven categories, ended up with seven statuettes, tying the awards’ all-time record. In addition to awards for Arabov and Sukhanov, the period piece set in the 14th century collected the best cinematography award for Yuri Raisky, the best actress award for Roza Khairullina, the best set design and the best costume design.
Alexei Panin, who recently died under unclear circumstances, was posthumously awarded the best supporting actor Nika for his role in Alexander Proshkin’s Iskupleniye (Atonement). Tatyana Drubich, who starred in Renata Litvinova’s Poslednyaya Skazka Rity (Rita’s Last Fairy Tale), collected the best supporting actress Nika.
Alexey Andrianov, the first-time feature director of Shpion (Spy), was awarded as “the discovery of the year.” Lyubov Arkus’ Anton Tut Ryadom (Anton’s Right Here) won best documentary.
