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Russia is Creating its Own Version of Hollywood
 It is -25C in a disused Red Army hangar in northern Russia. The director is wearing 18 layers of clothing. The cast can act for only a few minutes, before being taken inside to protect them from frostbite. Welcome to Stoliwood, Russia's answer to Hollywood. The director, the Emmy-award winning Brit Tom Roberts, recalls from the relative comfort of North London the tough experience of shooting the film In Transit last winter in St Petersburg. "They were extremely difficult conditions," he says, "but it was worth it."
Like an increasing number of Western stars and directors, Mr Roberts was persuaded to shoot in Russia by the lure of oligarchs' billions. He was invited to Russia by Sistema Mass Media (SMM), the media company of LSE-listed Sistema holding group.
Michael Dounaev, SMM's managing director, has a vision of turning St Petersburg into the Hollywood of the East, using Sistema's ample financial resources. He says: "There's been a trend in Hollywood over the last ten years to shoot films in Central Europe - Cold Mountain, for example, was shot in Romania - but with these countries joining the EU, production costs are going up. We think movie companies will simply move further east. You can make films in Russia for 30 per cent less than in the West."
Sistema, owned by the oligarch Vladimir Yevtushenkov, is taking a Roman Abramovich-style approach to film-making. Roberts recalls: "We suggested a low-key cast, and SMM said: ‘Let's get a better one. Let's get John Malkovich as the star.' They were very happy for us to spend more than we originally intended." In Transit is due for release this year.
SMM is using its resources to finance films made in Britain. It was the principal financial backer of Woody Allen's Match Point, shot in London. Mr Dounaev says: "We saved that film. Another backer pulled out and we came up with the cash."
This article in full can be accessed in THE TIMES
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