WW2 film triumphs at Russia’s Oscars

World War Two drama White Tiger triumphed at The Golden Eagle Awards, Russia’s equivalent to the Oscars, winning in five categories including best film, best script, cinematography, costume design and art direction. Karen Shakhnazarov’s film about a tank driver who survives a horrific accident to become a Nazi hunter, was Russia’s nomination for the foreign language movie at this year’s Oscars but failed to make the shortlist.

White Tiger is one of a handful of nationalistic blockbusters to do well at this year’s awards. A second, The Horde, won best director. Filmmaker Andrei Proshkin’s big budget period film depicts life under the Mongol empire during the 13th to 15th centuries. The film, which also won an award for best director at the Moscow International Film Festival last year, was financed by the Russian Orthodox Church and gas company Gazprom.

Danila Kozlovsky was crowned best actor for his role as high-flying banker in Soulless while Anna Mikalkova won best actress for Love with an Accent.

The Golden Eagle Award was established by Russian filmmaker and actor Nikita Mikhalkov and is one of two film award ceremonies in Russia. The other is the Nika Award, which is run by the Russian Academy of Cinema Art and Sciences in Moscow.