Putin’s Witnesses
What’s the story?: Documentarian Vitaly Mansky looks at footage he filmed of Russian President Vladimir Putin and examines the nature of propaganda in the country.
Since last November, Russia has been on everyone’s mind, and we’re finally starting to see documentaries and discussions that look at what it’s actually like living in Russia at this time. What makes Mansky’s documentary so intriguing is that he initially started out knowingly making a propagandistic story about Putin. The intent was to make the president look good. It’s only with the benefit of hindsight that the director revisits his footage with an eye toward looking at how democracy is fashioned in a country that’s currently become a hotbed here for government corruption. AFI Fest has several governmental documentaries out this year, including one looking at the FBI – Alex Gibney’s Enemies: The President, Justice, and the FBI. It’s easy to want to dissociate from the world, especially while going to the movies, but films like these reflect our culture, helping to give us a grander understanding of what’s going on here. Expect to see a flood of documentaries like this into the next year, especially as we see how the current political structure unfolds regarding Russia.