Vadim Rechkalov
A Film about Mr Putin Available Only on DVD
Whatever bad things I know about the United States, I know from Americans-reporters, writers and cinematographers. I don't know anything from American politicians-they are as full of deceit as their Russian counterparts.
Russia has no Oliver Stone of its own. Instead, it has Olga Zhulina, who makes her directorial debut with The Kiss Is off the Record, a romantic story of a judo wrestler and a stewardess, with traces of a political thriller. The movie could be subtitled, "The profession of ruling one's country."
Its teaser got me thinking. The crew repeated again and again that the film was not about Vladimir Putin. Even if it were, it's just another sentimental movie, as far as I can judge from the teaser. Nevertheless, it was announced that there would be only one show, on February 11, and the film would be available only on DVD starting February 14.
As for me, I would like to see a movie about our President, be it Medvedev, Putin or Yeltsin-not a documentary made after his death but a feature made here and now-and about many others: satanic Berezovsky, proud Khodorkovsky, Sechin and Surkov (here, I am at a loss for epithets), timid and baleful Ramzan Kadyrov, simple and obeisant Nikolai Patrushev and all the rest-a movie about power received without competition and about how one of a different breed can retain it.
I can only say with regret that no such film is on the horizon. Our cinematographers-not the sophisticated Sokurov and Veledinsky, but mass culture guys like Mikhalkov or Bondarchuk-are interested in the past and the future, and never care for the present. We Russians have no Francis Coppola to make a Captain Ulman apocalypse, and no Mike Nichols to take up Charlie Wilson's war in South Ossetia, to say nothing of Oliver Stone with his W. - or, in our case, VP. We have only Zhulina and her stewardess allegory to watch at home. Russian life breeds stories of gripping interest en masse, but the Russian cinema never cares.
W. made $4 million the day it was released-not bad for a political movie smeared by critics well in advance. Now I wonder what returns Stone would have in Russia, if any. Or would Russia brand him as traitor? What would he get in a country where an anti-war or anti-presidential protest rally gathers 200, at most-a country that terms yes-men "constructive opposition"? Such is today's Russia, where the luckiest and the most prosperous side with the regime, and the President's opinion is the yardstick by which movies are judged.
The worst things I know about Russia I also heard from Americans. They tell the truth about their own country but mostly lie like troopers about mine-not for propaganda's sake, but because they haven't the slightest idea what is really going on in Russia.
We should learn to tell the truth about our country and its sinful rulers, so that when the West discusses "Bad Boy Putin", it quotes not Berezovsky, but Mikhalkov.
Do we need it? Yes, simply because strong men don't tell lies.