Trust and loyalty: Film On the Road to Berlin directed by Sergey Popov will open the Russian Film Festival tonight in Ha Noi's National Film Centre. — Photo film-montreal.org

HA NOI  (VNS) — Russian movie On the Road to Berlin will be screened at the opening of the Russian film Festival in Ha Noi tonight.

Directed by Sergei Popov, the movie was nominated for the Montreal Film Festival's World Competition category held from August 27 to September 7 and was awarded Ecumenical Jury Mentions.

In the film, the heroes are young citizens thrown together from various corners of the Soviet Union. Having grown up in different ethnic and cultural settings, they have many differences in terms of their characters and beliefs, but they are all united in the effort to throw off Nazi invasion.

The strong script and direction tell us how trust and loyalty develop between a guard and his prisoner.

"On the Road to Berlin is not so much about battles as it is about the relations between these people," director Popov said at the press conference held yesterday at the Russian Culture and Science Centre in Ha Noi.

The screenplay of the film is based on various books written by two authors Emmanuil Kazakevich and Kostantin Simonove who participated in the World War II.

The film was produced by Mosfilm in 2015.

The 82 minute-film will be shown at 7.30pm tonight and 8pm on Saturday at the National Film Centre, 87 Lang Ha Street.

Three other films including war-themed White Tiger (2012); comedy Girl Prisoner of the Caucasus (1966) and drama Ward Number 6 (2009) will be shown at the two-day event.

All films will be screened free with Vietnamese subtitles.

The Russian Film Festival will be held from September 21 to 23, in the central city of Da Nang's CGV Vincom Cinema.

The first Russian Film Festival was held last year in Ha Noi and Da Nang City to mark the 90th anniversary of Mosfilm, the largest and oldest film studio in Russia and in Europe. — VNS