On 24 December 2023, KION released Matterica's documentary feature Bani. The film follows three protagonists who build a traditional Russian banya in unexpected places: in central Paris, on a Pacific Ocean beach in Mexico, and in the desert of the Burning Man festival. Directed by Mikhail Borodin. Several Russian outlets covered the premiere and the trailer release: Afisha, Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Moviestart, Golosa Gorodov, and Media Ryazan.
Afisha
On 18 December 2023, Afisha (a major Russian culture magazine) published a piece on the trailer. The outlet framed the film as an exploration of the cultural phenomenon of the Russian banya in the modern world and quoted one of the protagonists:
Banya has been with me since childhood — every Wednesday my grandfather took me there, and I always looked forward to it.
Rossiyskaya Gazeta
On the same day, 18 December 2023, Rossiyskaya Gazeta (Russian government newspaper) ran a note on the trailer release.
Moviestart
On 11 December 2023, Moviestart (Russian film-industry news outlet) reported that the film was coming to KION and summarised the plot: Bani is about Russian-banya enthusiasts who build the bath in central Paris, on a Mexican beach, and elsewhere.
Golosa Gorodov
The Golosa Gorodov information portal announced the premiere and described the picture as "a hot documentary about the spread of the traditional Russian banya in the modern world."
Media Ryazan
The regional outlet Media Ryazan ran a note headlined "KION invites Ryazan viewers to Bani" — a local-audience angle on the premiere.
KION on Telegram
KION announced the premiere on its official Telegram channel.
Related posts on our blog
- Bani premieres on KION — release announcement, December 24, 2023
Where to watch
Bani is available on KION.
More about the film on the studio site: /en/project/bani.
