Adversaries of the well-known Russian movie director and actor Nikita Mikhalkov from among the popular film directors and producers are making a yet another dramatic attempt to set up an association alternative to the Russian Filmmakers' Union, of which Mikhalkov is a long-time chairman. The conflict between Mikhalkov and a part of Russian liberal intelligentsia that criticizes him for what they believe to be excessive patriotism and adherence to the leading role of the state. They believe Mikhalkov has a totalitarian style.

Interestingly enough, Mikhalkov's opponents launched their new demarche at a time when the director's momentous picture Burnt by the Sun 2, an epic war drama that has been nominated for the Cannes, comes out on the screen. It stirred a stormy debate even before its opening night. ...

In the meantime, the director's new creation, Burnt by the Sun 2, is getting to the screens nationwide. It is a picture with impressive scenes of combat operations and a budget of $70 million, which is something unprecedented for the movies made in Russia. It consists of two full-length parts – Burnt by the Sun. The Exodus and Burnt by the Sun. The Citadel. The first part of the dilogy has come out now and the second part is due by mid-November. In these pictures the audiences will see the heroes of Burnt by the Sun of the 1994 version, who have matured or have grown much older. The 1994 film received the grand prix at Cannes. All the protagonists will live through to the second installment of the movie. Almost all the actors this time are those who were filmed in 1994. The new movie has been entered in the competition program of this year's Cannes.

This giant film project has become the subject of intensive public debates in the internet. The audiences pay big attention now, for instance, to an acerbic article by Ksenia Larina that was published at the website of the Echo of Moscow radio. "We should respect the hard work of a huge number of people, most of whom are real top-rate professionals, and still I'm compelled to state that the great movie has turned into the greatest possible deception in the history of Russia cinematography." The expert indicates: "The absence of a clear storyline is made up for by catchy special effects, the overly explicit naturalism that borders on a general hysteria and savoring." ...