The Russian space movie "The Challenge," the world's first film to ever be filmed in space, premiered in Beijing on March 12.

Actress Yulia Peresild receives a gift, the book of the Chinese classic "A Dream of Red Mansions," on stage in Beijing at a special advanced screening of "The Challenge," March 10, 2024. [Photo courtesy of MicroEnt]

The movie follows a female thoracic surgeon tasked to perform surgery on an injured cosmonaut who is too ill to return to Earth. 

To bring this narrative to life, a professional film crew, including director Klim Shipenko and actress Yulia Peresild, traveled to the International Space Station (ISS) for filming in 2021. Both Shipenko and Peresild underwent extensive medical, psychological and physical evaluations before the historic trip. The role of the patient was played by real-life astronaut Oleg Novitskiy. 

Since its debut in 2023, the film has become a box office smash, earned over 2 billion rubles ($21.82 million). Russian President Vladimir Putin even awarded Shipenko and Peresild a state prize for the film last year. The film is set to hit Chinese theaters on March 15.

Recently, actress Peresild traveled to Beijing to promote the film, participating in several events to share her experience among the stars while also exploring cultural landmarks in the capital. 

Selected from 3,000 candidates for the leading role, Peresild received over three months of intense training in both how to conduct medical surgery as well as how to be an astronaut. Her astronaut training even included having to take a heart-stopping centrifuge test, an assessment that prepares astronauts to better tolerate high acceleration during missions. During Beijing promotions, Peresild shared fascinating insights and tidbits about life and work in space with the audience.

Experts and guests join actress Yulia Peresild for a photo as they hold a forum for exchange during the premiere of "The Challenge" in Beijing, March 12, 2024. [Photo courtesy of MicroEnt]

The actress revealed that they were racing against time during the 12-day space shoot: "After arriving in space, I initially felt very uncomfortable, just as the doctor advised, I went to sleep. The next day, thinking about accomplishing such an incredible task instantly filled me with passion and desire—it felt like I was willing to do it without eating, drinking, or sleeping."

At the premiere, Du Liang, a Chinese-Russian cultural exchange representative and chairman of Beijing Airmita Culture Development Co. Ltd., remarked that filming "The Challenge" was once deemed unimaginably difficult but has now become a reality. "I believe this movie will not only go down in film history but also in the history of space exploration and the annals of science and film integration. It will forever be remembered as a historic first."

Also in attendance were space experts and other professionals from the sci-tech, diplomatic and cultural sectors of both China and Russia. Gou Lijun, a researcher at the National Astronomical Observatories under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), said he felt like the film was "taking him intimately on a journey through space," and that it was "authentic, light-footed, and graceful, completely different from scenes created with special effects."

A Chinese poster for "The Challenge." [Image courtesy of China Film Co. Ltd.] 

Yan Peng, deputy director of the sci-fi film commission for the China Science Writers Association (CSWA), commended the film's visuals and nuanced depiction of human nature and emotions in a challenging environment. He highlighted the film's effective emotional resonance and its portrayal of the beauty of humanity. Peng also emphasized the importance of creativity over special effects in sci-fi filmmaking.

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