 Questions were raised about the alleged anti-Polonism of the movie, but the film's director, interviewed in the Polish as well as Russian press, stressed that the movie was in no way intended to defame Poles.The director, Vladimir Khotinenko, claimed it was made for entertainment purposes as well as to raise awareness of the new holiday among the general public.International as well as Russian critics suggest that the movie, which was commissioned by the Kremlin, showcases key political ideas pushed by the Kremlin in advance of the parliamentary elections of December 2007