MOSCOW, November 2. /TASS/. The Russian movie industry needs to expand its export potential, as negative images of Russians are often portrayed in foreign films, Russian presidential advisor Elena Yampolskaya told TASS in an interview.

"In Russia, the industry receives such support measures as full state funding for the production and distribution of national films, including movies for children and youth, as well as family films. At the same time, it seems important to me to increase our export potential: foreign cinema often reproduces negative images of Russians, and the domestic industry must counteract this trend. It is important that a movie forum will be held as part of the Peoples of Russia International Week, which will become one of the key platforms for fostering intercultural dialogue," she said, calling cinema a tool of soft power. "It conveys national culture in an emotional and accessible way and shapes the image of the country. In recent years, a lot has been done to ensure the rapid development of the national movie industry and boost its competitiveness," the advisor said.

She emphasized that movies promoting Russian spiritual and moral values are also extremely important for the citizens of the country. "Of course, no one is going to do away with the study of languages or world culture. But after all, what a person loves from childhood is where their homeland is: films, music, holidays, images, heroes, and speech. We have a very rich heritage that we have the right to be proud of and that we are obliged to further develop for the sake of a decent future," Yampolskaya added.