When the world gets closer.

We help you see farther.

Sign up to our expressly international daily newsletter.

Already a subscriber? Log in .

You've reached your limit of one free article.

Get unlimited access to Worldcrunch

You can cancel anytime .

SUBSCRIBERS BENEFITS

Exclusive International news coverage

Ad-free experience NEW

Weekly digital Magazine NEW

9 daily & weekly Newsletters

Access to Worldcrunch archives

Free trial

30-days free access, then $2.90
per month.

Annual Access BEST VALUE

$19.90 per year, save $14.90 compared to monthly billing.save $14.90.

Subscribe to Worldcrunch
Russia

Khodorkovsky Documentary Shut Out Of Russian Movie Houses

Jailed Russian oil baron Mikhail Khodorkovsky isn't going to be released anytime soon. In Russia, a new documentary about his life is struggling to see the light of day as well. “Khodorkovsky” is set for release Dec. 1 -- but virtually no cinemas

Screenshot from
Screenshot from
Andrei Kozenko

MOSCOW -- A German film about imprisoned Russian oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky is set for release in Russia next week, but it is unlikely that many here will actually have an opportunity to see it. That's because most Russian theaters have declined to screen "Khodorkovsky," as the documentary is titled. In Moscow, only one movie house has agreed to show the film, which tells the story of the former Yukos Oil owner arrested in 2003 on charges of fraud.

"When we acquired the rights to the film in September 2011, we held discussions with many theaters and chains, and got several preliminary agreements for release," said Olga Papernaya, the art director of the company promoting the film in Russia. "But when it came time to sign an agreement, we ran up against refusals. They are all oral refusals, so we can only guess what is really behind it."

According to Papernaya, the first cinema network to refuse to show the film was "Moskino," a group owned by the city government of Moscow. Then another theater decided to show the documentary only once, on Dec. 2. Papernaya says that after these refusals, there was a "chain reaction," with a total of 19 refusals. "It seems like there was a decision made at some point by theater managers and owners, and it seems like that was connected to calls from government officials," she said.

The movie theaters of St. Petersburg also refused, as did those in Novosibirsk, where Khodorkovsky was arrested in 2003 and where the film's director – Cyril Tuschi of Germany – had hoped to appear for the premier. The film was first unveiled this past February during the Berlin Film Festival.

The documentary was shot from 2005 to 2011, although both the Russian government and many of Khodorkovsky's partisans refused to cooperate with the project, thinking that the main character was portrayed as being too controversial. There were also constant problems with sponsors. Filming took place in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Chita, Strasbourg, New York, Tel Aviv and London – all cities that were connected in some way to the Yukos affair. The film contains many high-profile interviews, including with Khodorkovsky and members of his family.

A professional break-in

The documentary was finished in time for the Berlin Film Festival, but five days before the festival opened, the production company's office was broken into and the final version of the film was stolen. German authorities described it as a very professional break-in. Luckily Tuschi had other copies of the final cut, and the film was shown at the festival as planned. Berlin police never found the thieves.

Nobody from Moskino would comment for this article. Sergei Kapkov, head of the culture department of Moscow's city government, said, "I have no idea why this film is not being shown. But in terms of some kind of prohibition, I can tell you that city workers do not have that kind of leverage over what is shown in private movie theaters."

Another movie theater owner said his chain decided to pass on the film simply because it does not show documentaries. Olga Papernaya is not convinced.

"Especially since parliamentary elections are approaching, I think this will become an international scandal. The European press is following the fate of Cyril Tuschi's film," she said. "On its own, though, the film can't change the political situation. It contains only well-known facts. But it's possible the real reason for the refusals is that showing the film on the big screen has a much larger emotional impact than several small articles in the media."

Read the original story in Russian

Photo - YouTube

You've reached your limit of free articles.

To read the full story, start your free trial today.

Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime.

Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time.

Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.

Geopolitics

The Pope's Bronchitis Can't Hide What Truly Ails The Church — Or Whispers Of Succession

It is not only the health of the Pope that worries the Holy See. From the collapse of vocations to the conservative wind in the USA, there are many ills to face.

 Pope Francis reaches over to tough the hands of devotees during his  General Audience at the Vatican.​

November 29, 2023: Pope Francis during his wednesday General Audience at the Vatican.

Evandro Inetti/ZUMA
Gianluigi Nuzzi

ROME — "How am I? I'm fine... I'm still alive, you know? See, I'm not dead!"

With a dose of irony and sarcasm, Pope Francis addressed those who'd paid him a visit this past week as he battled a new lung inflammation, and the antibiotic cycles and extra rest he still must stick with on strict doctors' orders.

For the latest news & views from every corner of the world, Worldcrunch Today is the only truly international newsletter. Sign up here.

The Pope is dealing with a sensitive respiratory system; the distressed tracheo-bronchial tree can cause asthmatic reactions, with the breathlessness in his speech being the most obvious symptom. Tired eyes and dark circles mark his swollen face. A sense of unease and bewilderment pervades and only diminishes when the doctors restate their optimism about his general state of wellness.

"The pope's ailments? Nothing compared to the health of the Church," quips a priest very close to the Holy Father. "The Church is much worse off, marked by chronic ailments and seasonal illnesses."

Keep reading...Show less

The latest