MOSCOW, July 8. /TASS/. People around the world are still fascinated with Russia, despite formal bans in the West, People's Artist of Russia and Cannes Film Festival winner Pavel Lungin said in an interview with TASS.

"It seems to me that there is now significant interest in Russia around the world. There are some formal bans. But Russia is still a kind of mystery for the West. They have a lot in common with us, in some ways, and in other ways they are very different. It seems to me that nothing can be canceled forever. But I'm an optimist," the director said.

Asked whether Lungin considered moving to the West, the director said that "no one makes such offers to anyone." "It's a responsibility. No one says, 'Come here, we've got a job for you.' Wherever you go, it's difficult to work, it's difficult to make money regardless of the place. And it is always a volitional, individual decision," Lungin continued. In his opinion, young artists who left Russia "will find it difficult to find their identity." "We, the old people, are protected by the armor of our lived lives," he added.

The director will celebrate his 75th birthday on July 12. He became widely known after the release of "The Wedding" tragicomedy (2000). The film won a special jury prize at the Cannes Film Festival for Best Acting Ensemble, as well as prizes at the International Film Festival in Tromso (Norway) and the Russian "Window to Europe" Film Festival (Vyborg). Lungin’s "Poor Relatives" (2005) was awarded the main prize at the Kinotavr Film Festival. The 2006 drama "Island" with Pyotr Mamonov playing the lead was recognized by the Russian Golden Eagle and Nika film awards in the categories Best Feature Film and Best Director. In May 2019, Lungin's "Brotherhood," a movie dedicated to the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan, premiered.

Lungin is known for writing or co-writing his own films. In 2008, he published the "Taxi Blues and Other Screenplays" collection. From 2010 to 2018, he was president of the Andrey Tarkovsky "Mirror" International Film Festival.