Krasnoyarsk director's film wins Docker Film Festival

In the international film festival’s main competition, Nikolai Bem’s documentary «The Foundation Pit» took home the «Best Editing» award. Nikolai had previously collaborated with editor Camille Mouton on the movie «The Ladder.»

The film «The Foundation Pit» delves at the past of the massive Mir quarry, its potential future, and the destinies of those who lived «on the edge of the world.»

The Soviet Union became one of the world’s top diamond powers in 1955 after a unique diamond deposit was discovered in Yakutia, marking the beginning of the quarry’s history. The industrial complex had been in «wet mothballing» mode for a long period, but in 2023, new design work was started at the deposit.

The Russian Knowledge Society granted Nikolai the 2021 Prize «For Contribution to Education in the Field of Culture and Art.» «Snowdrop» (2015), «Ivan’s Ladder» (2022), «Bless Andrey!» (2024), and «The Foundation Pit» (2025) are among his feature and documentary productions. In addition, he founded the SiberiaDOC initiative.

The Yenisei Kino crew wishes the film’s creative team a successful debut and many more fascinating endeavors.

Photo: Culture 24