In the Footsteps of Alexander Nevsky
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Running Time 2 hours 12 minutes
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Genre Documentary
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Language Russian
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Completed March 28, 2023, Russian Federation
Led by two Sign-Language guides, a documentary journey across Russia, Italy, and Mongolia retraces the life of Alexander Nevsky through rare medieval artifacts, Vatican letters, and the hidden connections between East Asia and the Mediterranean world.
The documentary is in Sign Language with subtitles in English language and voiced by deaf and hard of hearing people. This film is not about deaf people. this film is for all.
Two people speak Sign Language in a rural library. Kolya, who is hard of hearing, and Tanya, who is deaf. They are professional guides and invite viewers on a unique journey. The camera pulls back and the audience sees the entire film crew. The journey begins…
The film crew does not hide behind the scenes. The group finishes filming the scene, gets on a bus or a plane and goes to the next filming location in Italy, in Russia, and in Mongolia.
This documentary in Russian Sign Language looks at the Russian Prince Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky (1220 – 1263), famous for his campaigns, travels through the Mongol Empire and correspondence with the Pope. Tracing the hagiographic story of Alexander’s life, the film attempts to recreate an amazing picture of the world between East Asia and the Mediterranean in the time of Alexander. It also focuses on Giovanni da Pian del Carpini, a Franciscan monk, missionary and the first European traveller to Mongolia.
The film features a selection of unique items, such as a paiza of Uzbek Khan of the Golden Horde (mid-14th c.), the sword of Prince Daumantas of Pskov (late 13th c.), the manuscript of The Vita of St Alexander Nevsky (late 13th c.), on display in Russian museums; two letters from Pope Innocent IV to Prince Alexander (1248), a letter from Great Khan Guyuk to Pope Innocent IV (1246) at the Apostolic Archive of the Vatican and an old copy of Carpini’s History of the Mongols (14th c.) from Biblioteca e Centro di Documentazione Francescana in Assisi.
- First feature‐length documentary film in Russia created in Russian Sign Language.
- Subtitled and voiced by hard‐of‐hearing people.
- Produced 2021–2023; filmed in Russia, Mongolia, Italy, the Vatican, and the Sovereign
- Military Order of Malta (Rome).
- Russian crew received permission to film in the Apostolic Archive of the Vatican.
- Selected for 50+ international film festivals; 20+ first prizes.
Awards
2025
London Awards International Film Festival (London, UK) — Best Screenplay
Quetzalcoatl Indigenous International Film Festival (Chiapas, Mexico) — Best Quetzalcoatl Feature Film – Documentary / Experimental
Mannheim Arts and Film Festival (Mannheim, Germany) — Best Travel and Discovery
Athens International Monthly Art Film Festival (Athens, Greece) — Honorable Mention – Best Experimental Film
2024
Liberty Films Festival (Athens, Greece) — Best Historical Film
European Cinematography Awards – ECA (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Best Documentary Film Cinematography
Best Documentary Film
Echo BRICS Film Festival (Moscow, Russia) — Prize for Humanism in Cinematography
The World Through Silence – International Sign Language Film Festival (Moscow, Russia)
Best Cinematography
Best Screenplay
International Motion Picture Awards (Brooklin, Canada) — Special Jury Award Consideration
Your Way International Film Festival (Valletta, Malta) — Best Historical Film
Vindhya International Film Festival (Madhya Pradesh, India) — Special Jury Award for International Feature Documentary
Festival de Cine Antigua (Guatemala) — Honorable Mention – Best International Documentary
2023
Votkinsk Festival of Children’s and Youth Cinema “VTK Start Fest” (Maykop, Russia) — Best Documentary
HALO International Film Festival – HIFF (Saint Petersburg, Russia) — Best Documentary
Official Selections, Nominations & Finalists
- Art Giraffe International Film Festival (Nice, France) — Quarter Finalist – Best Historical Film
- Lausanne International Film Festival (Lausanne, Switzerland) — Official Selection – Best Feature Film
- London Awards International Film Festival (London, UK) — Finalist – Best International Documentary
- Liverpool Indie Awards (Liverpool, UK) — Nominee – Best Cinematography
- Barcelona Indie Awards (Barcelona, Spain) — Nominee – Best Historical Film
- Black Owl Film Festival (Bodrum, Turkey) — Official Selection – Best Feature Documentary
- Cinema Carnival (Pisa, Italy) — Official Selection – Best Inspirational Film
- China International Conference of Science and Education Producers (Beijing, China) — Official Selection – Science Documentary
- Deluxe Film Festival (Rome, Italy) — Official Selection – Best Feature Documentary
- Toronto Lift-Off Film Festival (Toronto, Canada) — Official Selection – Best Feature Documentary
- Madrid Film Awards – MADFA (Madrid, Spain) Official Selection – Best Cinematography – Official Selection – Best Director
- Florence International Film Festival (Florence, Italy) — Official Selection – Best Feature Documentary
- International Burabay Short Film Festival (Kazakhstan) — Finalist – Best Documentary
- Dubai Film Festival (Dubai, UAE) Nominee – Best Screenplay – Official Selection – Best Feature Documentary – Official Selection – Revelation Award
- Roma Spiritual Film Fest (Rome, Italy) — Official Selection – Best Feature Documentary
- HISTORY International Film Festival Austria (Asparn an der Zaya, Austria) — Official Selection – Migration Period – Middle Ages
- New York Lift-Off Film Festival (New York, USA) — Official Selection – Best Feature Documentary
- ARFF Paris International Film Festival (Paris, France) — Semi-Finalist – Best Documentary
- Rome Prisma Film Awards (Rome, Italy) — Official Selection – Best Feature Documentary
- Lift-Off Filmmaker Sessions Vol. 5 (Pinewood Studios, UK) — Official Selection – Best Feature Documentary
- Castiellë Soulplace Film Festival (Castelpetroso, Italy) — Official Selection – Best Feature Documentary
About the director
Anna Turchaninova is a director and screenwriter who graduated from the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography (VGIK), one of the most prestigious film schools in Russia, where she studied screenwriting. Her work combines documentary storytelling with educational and socially engaged themes, often focusing on accessibility, culture, and communication.
Before dedicating herself fully to filmmaking, Turchaninova worked in television as the head of a promotional department and program writer, developing a wide range of broadcast content. She also created and hosted her own author’s creative contest for children, encouraging young participants to engage with storytelling and artistic expression.
A significant part of her work focuses on projects designed for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. She has directed puppet-based video performances adapted for deaf audiences, exploring innovative ways of visual storytelling through sign language and visual dramaturgy.
Turchaninova gained international attention with her documentary “The Forbidden Language of the Future” (2022) and with “In the Footsteps of Alexander Nevsky” (2023) — the first Russian travel documentary filmed in Russian Sign Language. The latter was created in collaboration with Sergey Krechetov, who co-wrote the screenplay, and produced by Languages Without Borders NGO. The film explores the historical and cultural legacy of Alexander Nevsky through a unique documentary journey across multiple countries, highlighting the importance of inclusive storytelling and historical dialogue between cultures.
Her films combine historical research, cultural exploration, and socially conscious filmmaking, contributing to the growing field of inclusive cinema.
Director
Anna Turchaninova
Producers
Sergey Krechetov ,
Executive producers
Nikolay Efutin,
Olga Fefelova
Writers
Anna Turchaninova (screenplay by)
Sergey Krechetov (idea & screenplay by)
Cast
Nikolay Efutin (self),
Tatyana Trofimova (self)
Director of photography
Mikhail Agafonov
Camera operator
Iliya Davydov
Editors
Oleg Kostryukov
Anna Turchaninova
Makeup artist
Valentina Sukhanova
Assistant director
Alina Balaeva
ADR engineer
Ivan Badyan
Assistant sound
Alina Balaeva
Sergey Krechetov
Production sound mixer / Re-recording mixer
Mikhail Zvezdovskiy
Russian Sign Language consultant
Aleksandra Isaeva
Subtitle editor
Natalia Shanyavskaya
Props master
Valentina Sukhanova
PR coordinato
Anastasia Tamilo