A battle case: "The Birth of an Empire" under Peter the Great and "Fjord" from the Cannes Film Festival

Sebastian Stan opposes the liberal-minded Norwegian society. Alexander Gorbatov tries on the role of the first Russian emperor, and Milos Bikovic becomes Alexander Menshikov. Director Yu Shui undertakes a reinterpretation of the classic Chinese novel of the 16th century. The authors of "Escape from the Coop" entrust saving the farm on Halloween eve to Sean the Lamb. Izvestia — about what to watch in the cinema next weekend.

"The Birth of an Empire", 12+

Directed by Andrey Kravchuk. Starring: Alexander Gorbatov, Milos Bikovic, Alexey Guskov, Viktor Dobronravov, Julia Peresild

The film's plot covers the period from Peter the Great's return from the Great Embassy in 1698 to the Battle of Poltava in 1709. During his reign, the first Russian emperor not only turned the social life of the country upside down, adding new traditions to it, but also expanded the territory.

The focus is on the protracted war with Sweden over access to the sea, during which Peter the Great is confronted with deception, betrayal and disappointment. Filming took place in the Tula region, where villages, military fortifications and a real field headquarters of the tsar were built. In the role of Peter, Alexander Gorbatov, the image of Alexander Menshikov's closest associate was embodied by Milos Bikovic. The premiere is timed to coincide with the 305th anniversary of the proclamation of the Russian Empire.

Fjord, 18+

Directed by Christian Mungiu. Starring: Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinswe, Lisa Carlehead, Ellen Dorrit Petersen

The main film of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival has reached Russian cinemas, which can now compete for the Oscar in the Best International Film category. In the story, a Christian family from Romania with five children moves to a remote Norwegian village on the shore of a fjord. A married couple, the characters of Sebastian Stan and Renata Reinswe, would seem to easily find a common language with their neighbors. One day, their eldest daughter comes to school with bruises, which instantly provokes rumors. The guardianship service questions family parenting methods. Eventually, the situation escalates to a trial.

Prank into your hands: Mamonov the rebel, Matveev's dangerous game and the stolen voice

What to watch at the cinema this weekend

It is no coincidence that director Christian Mungiu addresses this topic. The story is based on a real trial in 2015. However, "Fjord" exposes the conflict, but does not provide unambiguous assessments, allowing the viewer to draw an independent conclusion.

"My own bed is eating me up," 18+

Director: Vyacheslav Ivanov. Starring: Ramaz Kebadze, Vyacheslav Ivanov, Ruslan Jafarov, Kirill Mitkin, Elizaveta Sokolova

The title, which unwittingly refers to horror stories, hides an experimental drama about relationships. The film continues Vyacheslav Ivanov's dilogy. The first film, titled "The Habit of Sniffing Fingers," won the main award of the New Movement Young Film Festival in 2025. The sequel focuses on the characters Ramaz and Lisa. They spend a lot of time with each other, but their communication is not without awkwardness. They are the very representatives of generation Z who find it difficult to get closer. At the same time, the main place of action becomes a conditional comfort zone, which does not seem to let the characters go into a more complex and harsh reality.

"Sean the Lamb and the shaggy monster", 6+

Directed by Steve Cox and Matthew Walker. Starring: Justin Fletcher, John Sparks, Nina Sosanya, Kate Harbor, Richard Webber

The popular animated character Sean Lamb will have to save the farm on the eve of Halloween this time. The hero creates a potion to accelerate the growth of pumpkins, but the farmer mistakes the bottle for a hair product. The shaggy monster naturally terrifies other locals, but the situation can still be fixed. The rating of this unpretentious tape on the international aggregator Rotten Tomatoes has already reached 99%. The project from the creators of "Escape from the Coop" and cartoons based on the "Wallace and Gromit" series is praised for its filigree visual component, humor and subtle references to classic monster stories.

"Little Demons travel to the West", 16+

Directed by Yu Shui. Starring: Chen Ziping, Lu Yang, Dong Wenliang, Liu Cong, Lin Qiang

In recent years, the animation industry in China has broken out of the local industry, and this is proved not only by the box office successes of the recent project Nezha Defeats the Dragon King. "Little Demons Travel to the West" opened a screening of the Big Cartoon Festival in Moscow in October, and a week later it reached a wide audience.

Wrong turn: the second part of "Twilight", "Battle of the Motors" and the horror "Everything will end"

What to watch at the cinema this weekend

The story is based on the classic 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West, although the script reinterprets the famous epic about the monk Tang Sanzang. The main character, a stubborn little boar, decides to escape from his native land, because he is tired of being a servant. On the way, he meets the same fellow travelers. The "team of outsiders" is heading West. There, according to legend, you can start your life anew. Each of the characters will eventually have to choose who to be — a monster from the past or a hero of a new story.

"A crazy day at the Comédie Francaise", 18+

Directed by Martin Darondeau and Bertrand Juskla. Starring: Pauline Clement, Laurent Stocker, Julien Frison, Marina And, Adeline D'hermy

The script grew out of short comedy videos for social media. Filming took place within the historic walls of the Comedie Francaise in Paris. According to the plot, on the day of the premiere of Macbeth, about everything does not go according to plan, which becomes a test for the director and the main actors. By all means, they need to save the production and play it on stage, because the future of the theater is at stake. Directors Martin Darondeau and Bertrand Juskla, who are familiar with the underside of theatrical life, approached the story not without self-irony. As a result, their film filigrees the viewer into the atmosphere of production chaos, revealing the secret of the play's birth.