The Challenge

2023 2h 44m RU

👍

6.9

SOLID

★6.9TMDB · 55

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Thoracic surgeon Evgenia Belyaeva has one month to prepare for a flight to the International Space Station, where she must operate on a crew member. Will she be up for the challenge? Can she overcome her fears and insecurities? Will she be able to perform the complicated surgery in zero gravity, and give the cosmonaut a chance to return to Earth alive?

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Cast

Yulia Peresild
Evgenia Belyaeva
Miloš Biković
Vladislav Nikolaev
Klim Shipenko
Alyona Mordovina
Vladimir Mashkov
Volin
Oleg Novitsky
Ivanov
Anton Shkaplerov
Anton Shkaplerov
Elena Valyushkina
Galina

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Klim Shipenko
Writers: Klim Shipenko, Bakur Bakuradze, Ilya Malakhova
Languages: Russian
Countries: Russia

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Clocks in at 164 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 3 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Klim Shipenko, shot by Boris Litovchenko. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Nikolay Rostov. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Tim Pavelko shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Yulia Peresild and Miloš Biković and Klim Shipenko carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt14812496 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 55 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Klim Shipenko directs. Boris Litovchenko behind the camera. Nikolay Rostov scores. Tim Pavelko cuts. A long sit — settle in. Produced in Russia. Dialogue in Russian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Clocks in at 164 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.
2Released 3 years ago.
3Directed by Klim Shipenko, shot by Boris Litovchenko. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Nikolay Rostov. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Tim Pavelko shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Yulia Peresild and Miloš Biković and Klim Shipenko carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt14812496 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 55 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Boris Litovchenko
Original score: Nikolay Rostov
Editing: Tim Pavelko
Production design: Sergey Tyrin
Costume design: Viktoriya Efimova-Shestakovskaya
Makeup / hair: Pyotr Gorshenin
Stunt coordinator: Sergey Golovkin
Runtime: 164 min · 2h 44m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: RU
IMDB: The Challenge (2023)

Awards

State Prize of the Russian Federation

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Klim Shipenko

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

deepkino2025-07-05
★ 7/10
The first feature-length film shot in space by professional filmmakers. A portion was filmed on the International Space Station. Also, if you're curious, it provides quite satisfying information about breast surgery, preparation for space travel, and the basic aspects of life in space!

Production companies