Rebounding from disappointment in Cannes, where no Russian films were shown, Russia's film heavyweights are making their presence felt at the world's oldest film festival in Venice.

This year two Russian films are featured at the festival.

Alexei German's ‘Paper Soldier’ tells the story of a doctor preparing for the first human space flight who is torn apart by personal tragedy. The 31-year-old director's film is on the shortlist for the prestigious Golden Lion award.

German is hoping to secure the first Golden Lion for a Russian film in five years. At the 60th Venice film festival in 2003 ‘The Return’ by director Andrei Zvyagintsev was awarded the Golden Lion and went on to receive a Golden Globe nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.

The selection “means we have managed to find a cinema language … that proves to be in demand among foreigners, who know little about us,” German told news agency RIA Novosti.

Critics say the film combines a moving personal story with compelling historical accuracy.

Also showing is a film by Georgian-born Mikhail Kalatozishvili called ‘Wild Field’, about a young doctor who moves to a remote and isolated village in the Russian steppes.

Kalatozishvili is the grandson of the acclaimed Soviet Union director Mikhail Kalatozov.

The Venice Film Festival opened on August 27 with the premiere of the Coen brothers’ ‘Burn After Reading’.