Russian film directors are supporting the idea of a Palace of Film Festivals at Luzhniki stadium and urging the re-establishment of the Museum of Cinema, which was left without a building a few years ago.
The suggestion to build the former was introduced by well-known director Nikita Mikhalkov, and colleagues are enthusiastic about it.
"Luzhniki is the perfect place to build it," said director Vladimir Khotinenko, RIA-Novosti reported. "I know they discussed building a palace outside the Third Ring Road. But nobody would go there!"
Nevertheless, there are some concerns.
"The idea … is not bad, but I don't really understand what will be there other than the festival, which takes place one week out of the year," said director Andrei Proshkin, who won a prize at the 34th Moscow International Film Festival. "In a country that has closed, and virtually destroyed, an outstanding, spectacular cinema museum, the first thing to think about is that."
The State Central Museum of Cinema was at Krasnaya Presnya until November 2005. It no longer has its own building. The museum's exhibits are being stored at the Mosfilm film studio and are accessible only to specialists.
As for the palace, a spokesman for the committee for state construction supervision said Friday that Moscow authorities had not given Mikhalkov documents allowing him to build at Luzhniki.
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