Vampires are proving they’re just like humans – they must use the vile and brutal tactics available to them in any fight in order to survive, even against their own kind. That terrifying horror of modern civilization, in which both vampires and humans alike must confront the most suppressing threat against them, is highlighted in the new sci-fi horror movie, ‘Empire V.’
The coming-of-age fantasy drama was written, directed and produced by acclaimed genre filmmaker Victor Ginzburg, who infused the project with timely social commentary via the vampire genre. The feature allowed the filmmaker to operate in a uniquely challenging narrative structure: telling a post-modern Moscow love story against the backdrop of satire.
‘Empire V’s timely exploration into the horrors of modern society led to it garnering rave reviews when it had its World Premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival in July, and then its U.S. premiere at Screamfest earlier this month. In honor of the project’s critical acclaim during its festival run, Film Factual is premiering an exclusive clip from the project.
The drama also offered Ginzburg the opportunity to design and create never before seen worlds and creatures within the horror genre. The special effects featured in the independent film was supported and crowdfunded by Russian movie fans throughout the years of production the filmmaker put into the project. He therefore has expressed his feeling of heartbreak when he learned that the drama has been banned in Russia for its biting social commentary, which means his fans in the feature’s home country are unable to see it.
‘Empire V’ stars popular Russian rapper Miron Fedorov (Oxxxymiron), whose anti-war stance has recently led to him being declared a foreign agent by the Kremlin, a designation used to attack the government’s critics and journalists. The movie also stars Pavel Tabakov and Taya Radchenko.
Based on Russian fiction writer Viktor Pelevin’s satirical and incisive 2006 novel of the same name, the screen adaptation’s story is a social parody of modern Russian society being controlled by vampires. It follows a 19-year-old Moscow nobody who receives an invitation to join an elite and powerful echelon of society. however, he soon discovers the bloody secrets of a vampiric dictatorship who has controlled humanity since ancient times.
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