The title derives from a popular 1930s song composed by Jerzy Petersburski . Originally the Polish tango , " '' To ostatnia niedziela '' " ( " This is the last Sunday " ) , it became popular in the Soviet Union with new Russian lyrics and the title , " '' Утомлённое солнце '' " ( Utomlyonnoye solntse , " Weary Sun " ) . The song is heard repeatedly in the film ; the director Mikhalkov said in 2007 that he learned of the song from his elder brother Andrei Konchalovsky 's 1979 film '' Siberiade . '' He compared his use of the music to his having stolen money as a boy from his brother . According to Ibragimbekov , the " sun " depicted in the film is intended to symbolize Stalin , and emphasized a point of the film is that totalitarian regimes " take on a life of their own , destroying not only those whom they were originally intended to destroy but their creators as well . " The film was shot in Moscow while Nikolina Gora was used for the village , and the scenes set inside the dacha were filmed in Nizhny Novgorod . It had a budget of $ 3.6 million , with major sponsorship from Goskino . For the part of Kotov 's daughter Nadia , Mikhalkov cast his daughter Nadezhda , who hoped her compensation would be a bicycle . Mikhalkov opted to play Kotov himself because he believed it would make his daughter comfortable , explaining " certain scenes were especially delicate on an emotional level . " The scenes were filmed between July and November 1993 . Mikhalkov decided on a fast shooting schedule out of consideration for Nadezhda , who was six at the time . He remarked that " Children grow quickly and lose the tenderness , the simplicity , and the charm their youth carries . " The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 1994 . Although it won the Cannes Grand Prix , Mikhalkov was said to be bitterly disappointed with not securing the Palme d'Or , with Russian press declaring " defeat . " For marketing within Russia , Mikhalkov personally toured local places and encouraged politicians and businesses to screen his film . It opened in Moscow on 2 November 1994
Cannes Film Festival
1994 Cannes Film Festival
Burnt by the Sun