"Nicostratos the Pelican" from French director Olivier Horlait, starring Emir Kusturica, opened in Moscow on Thursday.

Russian critics are predicting the touching story about a friendship between a boy from a small Greek island, growing up without a mother, and a wild bird will be well received by audiences in Russia and other Eastern countries.

They remind the film has been playing in French cinemas for a month with great success, and viewers recommend it as a film for the whole family.

Kusturica plays Demosthene, the boy's father, a man with a dark and difficult temper which is eventually changed by his love for his son.

The film's budget was USD 8.5 million, with about USD 700,000 spent to train the titular pelican.