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Film crew exceeded planned scope of work, says CEO of Channel One Russia

The footage as "amazingly cinematic", Konstantin Ernst said

MOSCOW, October 17. / TASS /. CEO of Channel One Russia Konstantin Ernst praised the work of the film crew, that spent 12 days on the International Space Station (ISS) to shoot the Vyzov (Challenge) feature film, noting that it had implemented the planned scope of work by 120%.

"Overall, we are totally excited that everything has ended so successfully. The guys filmed not even 100% but 120% of the shooting plan, and they feel great," Ernst said in a Channel One broadcast on Sunday.

The Channel One’s CEO described the footage as "amazingly cinematic." "We have seen many films, where the zero-gravity and being in orbit were imitated, but the reality is completely different," he emphasized.

Ernst also revealed how it was for cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky to cope with his first role in the film. For the first couple of days, the cosmonaut "was trying to contain a smile because when a serious adult person is in front of the camera, he feels a little uncomfortable," the Channel One’s CEO mentioned. "However, on the third day, he has already got into the rhythm, while on the fifth day, he became a professional," Ernst said.

The Channel One’s CEO also thanked the staff of Roscosmos, the rescue team of the Emergencies Ministry and the Armed Forces for their efficiency and professionalism. "They are high-profile specialists, and we just tried to fit in with [these experts]," Ernst stated.

The Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft with Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky, actress Yulia Peresild and film director Klim Shipenko on board undocked from the ISS at 4:14 Moscow time on Sunday. The descent module touched the ground in Kazakhstan at 07:35 Moscow time.

Peresild and Shipenko were shooting the first-ever movie in outer space about a woman doctor who travels to the orbital outpost to save a cosmonaut’s life. The film is a joint project of Roscosmos, Russia’s Channel One and the Yellow, Black and White studio. Russian cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov, Oleg Novitsky and Pyotr Dubrov also have parts in the movie.

Overall, about 35-40 minutes of the film’s screen time were to be filmed in the orbit. According to Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Rogozin, the actress and film director "worked at the expense of good sleep.".

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FACTBOX: Collective Security Treaty Organization

The Collective Security Treaty came into force on April 20, 1994 to herald the emergence what would eventually become the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The six member-countries are Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan