The departure of Hollywood blockbusters did not have a negative impact on the situation in Russian film distribution. This opinion was expressed by the chairman of the Union of Cinematographers of the Russian Federation, Nikita Mikhalkov, in a conversation with TASS.
Life is not easy, but it became clear that we can easily manage without Hollywood”, Mikhalkov said in response to a question whether, in his opinion, Russian cinema managed to get out of the crisis without American blockbusters.
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Answering the question whether new themes have appeared in Russian cinema today, the director noted that new requests have arisen. "I think new requests appeared, which led to new threads. Many people can, but in terms of meaning, there are still problems, the director explained.
He is convinced that today cinema should contribute to the consolidation of national identity. “I think the consolidation of the national identity is the most important thing we should have. Cinema must be needed by its audience. This is fundamental“, concluded the interlocutor of the agency.
Russian Minister of Culture Olga Lyubimova earlier reported TASS that the volume of the film distribution market has exceeded 32 billion rubles, and by the end of the year box office revenues may exceed 42 billion rubles. In 2023, they amount to 39 billion rubles, reaching pre-sanction levels. According to her, in 2026, the Russian Federation will reach the peak of films, and the domestic film market has already adapted to the conditions of sanctions pressure. In 2023, 207 Russian films were released in cinemas, and in the first half of 2024 - 103. The growth of the film distribution market "is also due to the fact that the native cinema meets the requirements of the viewers", the minister noted. .