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Russia goes into history books for 'unique' feature film in space — Putin

The Challenge is the first feature film to be shot in space on the International Space Station

MOSCOW, April 12. /TASS/. The creators of the film The Challenge (also known as Doctor’s House Call) deserve the credit for this unprecedented accomplishment and for putting Russia in the history books as the first country to film a movie in space, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a gala meeting at the State Kremlin Palace on Wednesday on the occasion of Cosmonautics Day.

"The team of the film, whose name is indeed symbolic, The Challenge, have accomplished a major civic and human deed. Their scientific and educational project is quite remarkable. We were the first to shoot a full-length feature film in orbit, on board a spacecraft. In this respect we were first, too," Putin said, as he thanked and congratulated everyone who took part in the project.

"It is a unique event for world cinematography," Putin stressed, wishing everyone in attendance pleasant viewing.

At the premiere of The Challenge the creators of the film were present. According to a TASS correspondent, Putin did not stay to watch the film.

The Challenge is the first feature film to be shot in space on the International Space Station (ISS). The space drama is a joint project between Russia’s TV Channel One, the state corporation Roscosmos, its affiliate Glavkosmos, the studio Yellow, Black and White and the online cinema theater START, supported by the Cinema Fund. It tells the story of a female doctor who by virtue of circumstances has just one month to train for a space flight and then go to the ISS to save the life of a cosmonaut.

In order to film certain scenes for the movie, actress Yulia Peresild and director Klim Shipenko along with professional cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov went into space in the Soyuz MS-19 spacecraft to the ISS on October 5, 2021. Two other cosmonauts - Oleg Novitsky and Pyotr Dubrov - also took part in the film-making process. On October 17, 2021 Novitsky, Peresild and Shipenko returned to Earth in the descent capsule of the spacecraft Yuri Gagarin (Soyuz MS-18). Shkaplerov and Dubrov returned from the ISS on March 30. Co-starring in the film were Milos Bikovic, Vladimir Mashkov and others.

The commercial release of the Challenge is set for April 20.

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