Yekaterina Samutsevich

Russian activists Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Ekaterina Samutsevich decide to separate from the well-known activist group Voina and create their own group named Pussy Riot that would express their ideas of female independence, combining activism, feminism, and punk rock music. Their defeat in court becomes their moral victory, as Pussy Riot are cheered on by thousands of their new-found fans.

In 2012 two members of anarchistic female band Pussy Riot were sentenced to two years in a Mordovian labor camp for "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred". Russian film collective Gogol’s Wives follow each step of the feminist punk band’s battle against Putin including their first disruptive performances on a trolley bus, shooting a video about transparent elections, a controversial performance in a Red Square cathedral, and footage shot in a jail cell. Support comes from many corners including Madonna who painted the words "Pussy Riot" on her back and wore a balaclava during her Moscow show. The documentary portrays the grim state of present-day Russia, a country starkly divided between conservatism and anarchy. Pussy Riot believes that art has to be free and they're willing to take it to extremes. "Pussycat made a mess in the house," they say, and the house is Russia. The filmmakers do not seek to moralize, they simply edit events and leave viewers to draw their own conclusions.

El documental cuenta la increíble historia de tres jóvenes que realizaron lo que ellas mismas denominaron una "plegaria punk" en el interior de una catedral rusa en Moscú. Las mujeres fueron detenidas al ser acusadas de odio religioso y se enfrentaban a un total de siete años de cárcel por su actuación. Su caso resonó en todo el mundo y las jóvenes activistas pasaron a convertirse en iconos políticos, al provocar una revolución que cambió la sociedad en la que vivían.