"Prisoner of the Mountains" is at first a contemporary story based on a Tolstoy's short story. The film realized by the Russian film-maker Sergei Bodrov in 1995 was presented in Cannes International Film Festival ("Quinzaine des Realisateurs"), now the movie is on French screens. Completely financed by Boris Giller, a rich newspapers' publisher. The events in Chechnya gave him the idea of the film. The film, already presented in 64 countries, tells the unfortunate story of a small troop of Russian soldiers who maintains the order in the Caucasus. The troop is attacked by local rebels. Two only survivors, Sasha and Vania, are arrested and retained by Abdoul-Marat, the patriarch of the neighboring village. They must be exchanged for the son of the old man, jailed in a Russian prison. If the exchange can't be made, they'll be executed. "Prisoner of the Mountains" describes the relations between two Russian soldiers. These men, in spite of their differences, become very close, but without ever admitting it. Vania (played by Sergei Bodrov's son, student at the time of the shooting, became a star in Russia) and Sasha (Oleg Menshikov, who has already acted in "Burnt by the Sun" by Nikita Mikhalkov and "East West" by Regis Wagnier).
A movie in relation with the events. The film describes also the relationship between Vania and Dina, Abdoul-Mourat's daughter. Vania's mother plays also an important role. The elementary school teacher runs over from the North of Russia to save her son and contribute to the exchange of the prisoners. She symbolizes the mothers of all the soldiers involved in the recent conflicts. This movie describes the relation between the Russians and the people of the Caucasus, engaged in a war which reminds us the one led by the Americans in Afghanistan. The film is photographed by Pavel Lebeshev. The movie was filmed in the Caucasus, near the border of Dagestan and Chechnya. The mountains and the Russian army brought their help, according the director Sergei Bodrov: "When we tell a cruel story, it's necessary to show the beauty of the world". Interrogated on the political message that he wanted to give to his film, Sergei Bodrov stays careful and declares that he "tried to keep the balance between the two parts" considering himself "not to be able to judge". On September, the director will present in Venice his last movie "Le Baiser de l'Ours".

Submitted by Kay