The Sunstroke by Nikita Mikhalkov is not going to win the Oscar prize: the film has not made it into the short list.

      This year the nomination The Best Foreign Language Movie includes works by directors from Jordan, Ireland, Colombia, Denmark, Hungary, Germany, Finland and France.

      As it turns out, Nikita Mikhalkov himself expected such a situation. “The situation has changed too much. If our Oscar winner Burnt by the Sun had presented this country today it wouldn't have entered the short list either. The international situation is too polarized and politicized nowadays. Anyway, a large number of members of the American Academy had to watch my film. It could be some sort of punishment for them, perhaps, but I do not feel sorry about it. Possibly as well that our film touched some of the Academy members”, – the Russian film director said.