Panaji: Russia will take centre stage as the Partner Country at the 57th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), with a special four-film showcase celebrating the country’s cinematic diversity and strengthening cultural ties with India.
The festival, scheduled in Goa from November 20 to 28, will screen films spanning contemporary dramas and a Soviet-era musical satire under the theme ‘Stories Without Borders’.
The line-up includes Anastasia Kuzina’s Bo Bo (98 minutes), which will make its India premiere. The rural drama follows Nadia, a young girl facing social prejudice because of a facial hemangioma, who discovers self-expression through music.
Raul Geidarov’s Sidney Lumet’s Birthday (92 minutes), another India premiere, follows 17-year-old Dato as he navigates family conflicts, abandonment and forgiveness. The film won the Grand Jury Prize at the Vyborg National Film Festival.
Nikita Grushin’s New Home (101 minutes) will have its world premiere at IFFI. It tells the story of Anna, who attempts to rebuild her life after seven years in prison with support from social services and Roman.
The fourth selection, Herbert Rappaport’s Cheryomushki (91 minutes), will make its India premiere. Set in post-war Moscow, the musical satire follows four young couples aspiring for better homes while highlighting bureaucratic corruption through music, dance and humour.
The showcase aims to highlight the range of Russian filmmaking and the role of cinema in fostering cross-cultural understanding.
