“He has revealed Japan to viewers from all over the world” - with these words the Japanese consul general handed the higher award, Order of the Rising Sun over to Alexander Sokurov.
      
      The Russian film director is well known in Japan. In the mid 1990s he shot several documentaries by request of the Japanese television. Besides, it was in Japan where Alexander Sokurov created the feature film The Sun - the third part of the tetralogy about power. The picture is dedicated to the Japanese Emperor Hirohito.
      
      Since the 19th century the Japanese gilded star with a ruby has been conferred on those who have made a great contribution to culture. The Honourable Order of the Rising Sun has been awarded to about 40 Russians, among them - ballerina Maya Plisetskaya, actor Yury Solomin, director Yuriy Norshteyn, and now Alexander Sokurov as well.
      
      Source: vesti.ru
Author: Vera Ivanova