Russian Prime Minister Calls for More Original Films Drawn From History

Russia’s Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has called on local filmmakers to make more original films centered on Russian history but avoid historic events that were already depicted onscreen.

“Frankly, I’m not sure that there should be too much focus on remakes,” he was quoted as saying by the news agency TASS. “In our history, there are still many heroic events about which no films have been made.”

According to Medvedev, a trend for making more history-themed films has already been established, but the quality is uneven.

“Those films are of uneven quality,” he said. “I’ve seen some, and I can say that I liked some films and I didn’t like others at all.”

Medvedev added that filmmakers should try to attract private sponsors rather than rely exclusively on government cash, although the issue of private sponsorship for film and theater still needs to be addressed.

Medvedev’s statements reflected the government’s most recent strategy in film funding, which gives priority to history-themed and “patriotic” films.

Last year, the culture ministry, which, alongside the cinema fund, administers state cash for the film sector, said it will focus on funding adaptations of classics and “patriotic” cinema, shifting from previously declared policy of supporting experimental and auteur films.

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