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Interview: New version of classic Soviet WWII movie to attract young generation: producer

Xinhua, August 19, 2015 Adjust font size:

The latest version of the classic Soviet World War II movie "The Dawns Here Are Quiet," a household name to many Chinese, is not a remake of the iconic 1972 one but an upgraded version, the movie's producer said.

"It is actually made not in the language of that time, but in the universal language understood by modern audiences," Vlad Ryashin, CEO of Star Media Group and producer of the movie, told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.

The movie, adapted from a novel by Soviet writer Boris Vasilyev, is about a battle taking place in the woods in the northwestern Russian republic of Karelia near the border with Finland during WWII.

In the battle, a sergeant and young female anti-aircraft gunners fight against experienced German Nazi paratroopers. All women die in action, while the wounded sergeant manages to either kill or capture the enemies.

"Millions of Russian children were brought up on the book and the movie, but a long time has passed and the young people now know little about those events," Ryashin said.

Therefore, he said, it is important to release the movie in the year of the 70th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War, to remind the young generation of the eternal values and heroism of their ancestors.

"The story in my opinion is very up-to-date, because it tells about the most important things," he said. "It tells about the Motherland, love, and not only love for the Motherland, but for all the people around. It tells about the true moral values."

Ryashin said that after the road show of the movie, veterans have thanked the production crew with tears in their eyes.

"I have seen many young people who were overwhelmed with emotions and could not utter a word," he said, adding that he expected similar reactions from Chinese audiences despite the fact that the story took place in a foreign country.

"So we understood we have achieved what we were seeking -- first of all, emotional feedback regarding this very story," the producer said.

The first Soviet version of the movie, produced in 1972, turned out to be so popular that it was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film of the Oscar Awards in 1973.

In 2005, China Central Television broadcast a 19-episode TV series based on the same novel. Now, the latest version is expected to hit film screens in China on Aug. 25 in both 3D and 2D versions. Endi