On September 4, the China premiere of the Sino-Russian co-production film "Red Silk" was held at the China Film International Cinema in Beijing.
"Red Silk" is a hardcore spy war blockbuster directed by Russian director Andrei Vokin and starring Milos Bykovic, Yelena Podkaminskaya, Gleb Kaluzhny, Zheng Hanyi, Yang Zihua, Huang Haonan and others. It uses light and shadow as a pen to tell the story of comrades from China and Russia fighting side by side on the secret front and safeguarding justice.
The film was released in Russia on February 20th of this year, achieving box office success and earning acclaim from the media for "paving the way for co-productions and taking global audiences on an incredible adventure on screen." Red Silk's role as the opening film of the SCO's Outstanding Film and Television Works Screening Week also gave it a strong start on the mainland's big screens.
In his speech, Fu Ruoqing, Chairman of China Film Group Corporation, said that "Red Silk" is an important witness to the mutual learning and deepening friendship between China and Russia. He looks forward to continuing to work with colleagues in the Russian film industry, using film as a medium to continuously inject new vitality into China-Russia cultural exchanges.
Baranova, president of the Russian National Media Group, expressed her gratitude to China in her speech and said that the "Red Silk" project will surely become a model for exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and Russian civilizations, and lay a solid foundation for deepening cultural integration between the two countries.
Film creators from China and Russia made a collective appearance
At the event, dozens of the film's main creators from China and Russia took the stage. Vadim, the chief producer, general producer, and chief planner, explained the origins of the filming process: "In 2019, we visited Hengdian, China, and saw the exceptionally high level of filmmaking there. We immediately decided to make a film there. Coincidentally, while we were in Moscow, we met several visiting Chinese producers who suggested we make a film together. The creation of this film was a fusion of the cross-border rapport between the Chinese and Russian teams, united by our shared passion."
Director André Vokin
"This was originally an impossible task," said director Andrei Vokin when discussing the challenges of filming. "But the participants from both China and Russia are very professional filmmakers. It is thanks to this that we can bring this film to everyone today. I am very happy that 'Red Silk' can meet Chinese audiences."
Milos Bikovic plays Agent Nikolai in the film
Actor Milos Bikovic plays Agent Nikolai, the film's leading force. "Nikolai is actually a sinologist, a 'China expert,'" Bikovic said. "In a sense, I share his desire to understand China. By taking on this role, I've been able to get closer to Chinese culture and learn the Chinese language. I hope that after the film's release in both countries, Chinese audiences will learn more about Russia, and Russian audiences will learn more about China."
Zheng Hanyi plays the role of Wang Lin, a Chinese Communist Party courier in the film
Actress Zheng Hanyi plays Wang Lin, a Chinese Communist Party courier. After witnessing her father's heroic death during the April 12th Counter-Revolutionary Coup of 1927, Wang Lin journeyed to Manchuria to hone her skills in killing the enemy. Her subsequent dangerous journey of escorting secrets honed her skills as a skilled Red Army agent. Zheng Hanyi, demonstrating her fluent Russian communication skills, spoke, "I'm so glad you all came to see this major production. I also want to encourage all the Russian friends present to recommend this film to their friends and family."
According to reports, over the 76 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Russia, cultural exchanges and cooperation have continued to deepen. Film, as a cross-language cultural medium, has become an important link in enhancing the emotional resonance between the two peoples and inheriting their shared historical memories. This year, China-Russia film exchanges have yielded fruitful results: in May, the "2025 China Film Festival" was successfully held in Moscow, Kazan, and St. Petersburg, Russia; and from September 1st to 12th, the "2025 Russia Film Festival" was also being held simultaneously in Beijing, Xining, Qinghai, and Lanzhou, Gansu.
The film "Red Silk," a concrete project implementing the cultural exchange initiative of the two heads of state and promoting film cooperation during the 2024-2025 "China-Russia Cultural Year," was screened in China. This is undoubtedly the latest achievement of the close collaboration between Chinese and Russian filmmakers. Film professionals from both countries expressed their willingness to use this opportunity to further strengthen creative exchanges and deepen industrial cooperation, producing more co-productions that are both ideologically compelling, artistically compelling, and entertaining. This will inject new vitality into enriching China-Russia cultural exchanges and promoting the development of the comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation between the two countries in the new era.
The movie "Red Silk" will be released in theaters nationwide on September 6.