EXCLUSIVE: Chulpan Khamatova (Good Bye Lenin) has been set to star in Alexander Molochnikov’s The Extremists, a feature length version of the director’s Oscar-shortlisted short film Extremist.

The original short centered on a young Russian artist who secretly replaced food labels in a Moscow supermarket with pacifist messages, an act that ultimately led to her arrest and the threat of a 10-year prison sentence.

Filming is underway in Latvia on the project, which heralds from AR Content, the production banner of veteran arthouse producer Alexander Rodnyansky (Leviathon), and Forma Pro Films (Minotaur).

The feature expands Molochnikov’s short into a three-part narrative, with the original short forming one segment of the film alongside two newly shot perspectives. Building on the premise of the short, the feature draws inspiration from hundreds of real stories from contemporary Russia, however is ultimately a work of fiction, and no character is intended to portray any specific individual.

Acclaimed cinematographers Manuel Alberto Claro (Melancholia) and Benoît Delhomme (The Theory of Everything) are also set to join the film, alongside Mikhail Krichman (Minotaur) who served as DOP on the original short.

Rodnyansky will produce alongside Julia Zaitseva and Svetlana Punte of Forma Pro Films, and Molochnikov, Andrey Burkovskiy and Gennadiy Ravvin of Yes or Yes Studio.

The two additional storylines will be lensed by Claro and Delhomme respectively, while Krichman’s cinematography from the original short forms the third. Additional plot details for the additional material are being kept under wraps.

This is a brave production. Khamatova is one of Russia’s most famous actors but had to move out of her homeland after criticising Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

She began her career as a theater actress and later broke out in Valery Todorovsky’s Country of the Deaf and then in international hit Good Bye Lenin. She most recently appeared in Viesturs Kairišs’ Ulya, a biographical drama about Latvian basketball player Ulyana Semjonova which premiered at Cannes this year. She is currently in production on the period drama series The Last Divorce of Communism.

Rodnyansky, the dissident producer of Andrey Zyagintsev’s Oscar-nominated films Loveless and Leviathon, said: “As someone who was sentenced in absentia in Russia to eight and a half years in prison for anti-war statements, and who has continued to speak publicly for more than four years, I can hardly imagine a subject that could feel more personal and important to me. It means a great deal to have Chulpan Khamatova joining The Extremists – before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, she was one of the most popular and widely recognised film and theatre actresses in Russia, and one of the very few Russian artists of her stature who chose to speak out publicly against the war – even though that decision cost her career in her home country. We are incredibly grateful to have her on board, and to Manuel Alberto Claro, Benoît Delhomme and Mikhail Krichman for bringing their talents and distinct visual styles to the film.”

Alexander Molochnikov commented: “The project began as my graduation film, with acclaimed cinematographer Mikhail Krichman shaping the original visual language. As it evolved into a feature exploring the stories of political prisoners in Russia, the screenplay branched out into three distinct storylines, each with its own tone and emotional world. It became clear that each perspective needed its own visual identity within the film, which naturally led to the decision to work with three cinematographers. We couldn’t be more excited to have such an extraordinary team of artists who have come together to bring that vision to life.”

The news comes ahead of AR Content’s Place to Be, starring Ellen Burstyn, Taika Waititi, and Pamela Anderson and directed by Kornél Mundruczó, and The Road to Jericho, a documentary by Amos Gitai, premiering at the Venice Film Festival. AR Content will also be releasing High Value Target: The Hunt for Saddam, a limited series starring Joel Kinnaman about the first American to identify and interrogate Saddam Hussein, on TNT September 13. The company also secured the rights to John Shirley’s action-thriller book series The Specialist and is optioning the series for TV.

Claro is represented by Mystic Collective, Iconic Talent Agency, and Lux Artists. Delhomme by Iconic Talent Agency and Melting Pot Agency. Krichman by Cosmic, Iconic Talent Agency, Lisa Richards Agency.