| The Last Frontier | |
| Director: | Vadim Shmelyov |
| Music: | Yuri Poteyenko |
| Cinematography: | Andrey Gurkin |
| Editing: | Mariya Sergeenkova |
| Studio: | VoenFilm |
| Distributor: | Central Partnership 20th Century Studios |
| Runtime: | 130 minutes |
| Country: | Russia |
| Language: | Russian |
| Budget: | ₽450 million |
| Gross: | ₽87.7 million[1] |
The Last Frontier also released as The Final Stand (Russian: Подольские курсанты|Podolskie kursanty|lit=Podolsk cadets) is a 2020 Russian WWII film written and directed by Vadim Shmelyov. A story about the heroic performance of the Podolsk cadets’ (ru) at the Battle of Moscow in October 1941.[2] [3]
The cadets of the Podolsk artillery and infantry schools are completing their training, and they will soon become commanders. Two friends compete for a girl. Suddenly, the command learns about the breakthrough of the front and the movement of a German tank column to Moscow. The only serious force is the cadets, they must stop the Germans at the Ilyinsky defence line and hold out until the reserves approach. In fierce battles, where many of them die, they fulfill this task.[4]
The film was shot at a specially built film complex "VoenFilm" in Medyn, where a village was built, pillboxes were dug, a river was built and filled with water, and part of the Varshavskoye Highway was dumped.[5] Historical consultants tried to achieve maximum reliability of what was shown, up to the reconstruction of the numbers of tanks and aircraft; in particular, Bezrukov's character is armed with a Thompson submachine gun, since such a weapon was found during excavations at the Ilyinsky border.
The filming location of the feature film took place from August to November 2018, Scenes of Peaceful Days: Ivanovskoe Estate in the Podolsk Urban Okrug, Moscow Oblast and Kaluga Oblast.[6]
The project was supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Governor of Moscow Oblast and Governor of Kaluga Oblast, deputies of the State Duma, the Russian Youth Union, well-known public and political figures.
The Central Archives of the Russian Ministry of Defence provides advisory support and proper supervision over the credibility of the film.
The supervisory board of the film project is headed by Viacheslav Fetisov.
The film's budget was 450 million rubles, of which 60 million were provided by the Ministry of Culture, the rest was allocated by investors, distributors and a film studio.[7]
The film was released in Russian by Central Partnership and 20th Century Studios on November 4, 2020.
The film received three awards at the 2021 Prague Independent Film Festival — Grand Prix, Best Director, Best Actor (Sergey Bezrukov) and Best Score.[8] [9]