Chongqing—At the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Film Festival in China, Elena Okopnaya, a celebrated production and costume designer, received the "Golden Camellia" award for her work on the war drama Air, directed by Alexey German Jr. The Russian film also won the festival’s top prize, Best Film.

Speaking after the ceremony, Okopnaya reflected on filmmaking, technology, and the enduring human spirit.

"I see this festival as a kind of hub — a place where different streams of culture converge and nourish one another," Okopnaya said. "Like a river, if you don’t move, you stagnate. Art exists to keep us evolving."

Known for her meticulous attention to historical detail and poetic visual style, Okopnaya described cinema as a form of soft power — a neutral ground for dialogue and understanding.

When asked about technology and artificial intelligence, she was clear: "Technology is just technology. It’s a tool, not a replacement for the human voice. A director’s vision — the way we see the world differently — belongs to the human soul. Once we lose that, we risk losing something essential."

She recalled working on Air, a film set during the Siege of Leningrad, as both creatively inspiring and emotionally heavy.

"I spent hours watching archival footage. At night, I dreamed of the people who had lived through those moments. It was unsettling, but also necessary to honor their reality," she said.

Okopnaya believes that even the most minor on-screen details — like a family photograph tucked into a cloth bundle — can carry profound meaning.

"When people fled, they packed only what mattered most. These small objects speak to the heart of human experience," she added.

Looking ahead, she sees a balance between traditional craftsmanship and modern tools: "Hollywood experiments with synthetic textures, but I still prefer mud, natural materials — something tangible. Technology evolves, but vision and authenticity must remain at the center."