Started russian historical drama film - Matilda

Matilda is an upcoming Russian historical drama film. It is scheduled to be released on October 25, 2017.

Plot

The film tells the story of the romantic relationship between the heir to the Russian throne, Nikolai Romanov, and the ballerina of the Imperial Theater, Matilda Kshesinskaya, from the time the 22-year-old crown prince and 18-year-old dancer in 1890 and until the coronation of Nikolai and his wife Alexandra Feodorovna in 1896.

Cast

• Michalina Olszańska as Matilda Kshesinskaya
• Danila Kozlovsky as Vorontsov
• Grigoriy Dobrygin as Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich of Russia
• Ingeborga Dapkunaite as Maria Feodorovna (Dagmar of Denmark)
• Yevgeny Mironov as Ivan Karlovic, director of the Imperial Theatres
• Lars Eidinger as Nicholas II of Russia
• Thomas Ostermeier as Doctor Fisher
• Sergei Garmash as Emperor Alexander III
• Luise Wolfram as Alexandra Feodorovna
• Vitaliy Kovalenko as Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich
• Galina Tyunina as Maria Pavlovna, Vladimir's wife
• Vitaliy Kishchenko as Vlasov
• Sarah Stern as Pierina Legnani
• Yan Ge as Kawakami, masseuse Legnani, Chinese
• Aleksandra Serebryakova as ballerina
• Tamara Taks as ballerina
• Sergey Malyugov as grand duke
• Stepan Pivkin as grand duke
• Kirill Gorbunov as prince George
• Ekaterina Dar as princess at the coronation
• Oleg Pospolitak as priest
• Anna Chernovich as maid of honor of the Empress Maria Feodorovna
• Mariya Glazunova as maid of honor
• Anastasiya Lomachenkova
• Stanislav Lyamtsev
• Alina Sukhareva as maid
• Sergey Korenkov as colonel
• Kirill Andreev as guard on the train
• Sergey Krasavin as general
• Roman Chaliapin as assistant director of the Imperial Theatres

Opposition

In 2016 when the official trailer of the film which contained in particular erotic love scenes was released, representatives of the public movement "King's Cross" found in the upcoming film a "distortion of historical events", and an "anti-Russian and anti-religious provocation in the field of culture". One cinema chain pulled out of showing the film after a group of self-described Orthodox militants threatened the film’s director and cinemas preparing to screen it.

After a request to the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation State from the Duma deputy Natalia Poklonskayaknown for her veneration of Nicholas II, the film's material was audited and no violations were found. Chairman of the Duma committee on culture, film director Stanislav Govorukhin criticized the idea of checking the film, he expressed confidence that such scandalous initiatives should be "nipped right in the bud." In the Kremlin, Poklonskaya's request caused confusion and an uncertain delayed response. The Ministry of Culture of Russia said that the question of issuing certificates for rental of the film will be decided upon the completion of work on the picture.

Somewhat later in December 2016 it was reported that the prosecutor's office will request the movie's script for inspection at the request of deputy Poklonskaya.

In September 2017 Cinema Park and Formula Kino group, the Russia's biggest cinema chain, cancelled screenings of the film due to "extreme actions by opponents of the film" and threats made against cinemas. They later reversed the decision. Two cars were torched outside the Moscow office of a lawyer acting for Alexey Uchitel, the director of the film.

Director of the office of the Russian Imperial House, Alexander Zakatov called the film "blasphemy", but added that "such works should be condemned, but to inflate a scandal around them and make a formal ban does not make sense".[12] A similar position was taken by the Bishop of Yegoryevsk Tikhon (Shevkunov), who reviewed the film highly critically, but said that the demand to ban the film - "is an absolutely dead-end and wrong approach":

... An admonition regarding right and wrong – this is the goal that can and must be put in connection with the forthcoming wide screening of the film.

Nevertheless, Bishop Tikhon points out, "most likely, individuals and groups, including Orthodox, will demand its prohibition".

Production

More than 17 tons of fabric were used to create a total of more than 5,000 costumes.