Prigozhin has financed several movies through a partial ownership stake in the film company, Aurum LLC. The company’s movies show Russia — especially the Russian military and mercenaries — in a positive light. The films have high production values and fictionalize Russia’s actions abroad in the style of Hollywood action movies. Storylines in the films include depictions of Russian soldiers in the Central African Republic, soldiers defending native Russians in Ukraine, and even a satire about the IRA and its role in the 2016 US elections. In 2021, they released “Солнцепёк” (“Sunlight” or “Blazing Sun” in English), which takes place in eastern Ukraine and claims to be a story based on true events from 2014 of Russian mercenaries, connected to the paramilitary Wagner Group, protecting Russians in Ukraine against Ukrainian forces.
