Vladimir Vdovichenkov, the star of Bumer 2, is back for more action in the futuristic sci-fi adventure Paragraph 78

Paragraph 78, released in Russia on February 22, 2007, is part of the new trend of Russian films getting bigger, bolder, and more internationalized in terms of production and crew. Like Fyodor Bondarchuk's Afghan war drama 9 Rota, director Mikhail Khlebdorov's Paragraph 78 is a joint British-Russian production. UK musicians Ian Brown (former front man for the Manchester rock band the Stone Roses) and the Sneaker Pimps (whose single "Six Underground" was featured in the soundtrack to The Saint) provide their music for the film. Russian directors and producers, many of them veterans of international productions who have cut their teeth making music videos for Russia's biggest pop stars, now have a lot more money to play with to put their visions on the big screen.

Unlike its Hollywood sci-fi action film counterparts, which are often based on popular video games or comic books, Paragraph 78 is based on a science fiction novel by Ivan Okhlobystin (the Night Watch fantasy/horror trilogy is also based on a series of novels).

According to the St. Petersburg Times, the combined box office haul for Volkodav, Zhara and other Russian theatrical releases in January 2007 was $35 million; not bad in a country where the average wage (although vastly improved over previous years) is still about $550 per month.

Click on the extended post to watch the making of Paragraph 78 film trailer in Russian.
(WARNING: Some filmed violence and bad Russian language)