Petr Verzilov

On July 30, 2018, documentary filmmaker Alexander Rastorguev was killed in the Central African Republic. He left a unique mark on Russian cinema, but managed to do much less than he could. "Rastorguev" - a portrait of one of the brightest and most free filmmakers of our time; direct speech and fragments of films, forming a single statement about the meaning of art, homeland and pain.

A film about how we imagine and portray death. Our heroes are the most diverse people who have been asked to go through all the stages of death, from dying to existence “on the other side.” This study of fear and laughter - the two main reactions of man to the approach of death. Death as a collective (what will happen to everyone) and individual (what will happen to you). What is special about the attitude to death in Russia? Do we know enough about this most important event in life - death? The film creates a kind of catalog, a "herbarium" of human reactions, fears and hopes that there is life after death.

A look at the story through the prism of the present. Artists in front of the audience reincarnate in the heroes of the film (the poet Vladimir Mayakovsky; the women he loved and left him; the friends who admired him and backed away from him; the ruthless “Knights of the Revolution” who proclaimed him his banner) and lead the viewer “to” Mayakovsky, forcing him to live his love, creative, and human drama as his own.

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.

The documentary project The Term was conceived in May 2012. When the directing trio commenced mapping the Russian sociopolitical landscape, Vladimir Putin had just settled into the Kremlin for his third term. The original experimental format of “documentary bulletins,” which were published daily online, allowed for wide-ranging content; in the feature film version, however, the filmmakers focused solely on the members of various opposition groups. Nevertheless, the work’s neutral position remains and viewers have to interpret the objectively presented situations for themselves. The main characteristics of this strongly authentic movie include close contact with the protagonists, precise editing, and an effectively controlled release of information.

2012년 2월 21일, 모스크바 구세주 그리스도 대성당 제단. 컬러풀한 스키마스크에 형광색 레깅스를 입은 여성들이 튀어나와 공연을 시작한다. “성모님, 여성을 축복하고, 푸틴을 거둬주소서.” 이들의 이름은 페미니스트 펑크락 그룹 ‘푸시 라이엇(Pussy Riot).’채 1분도 되지 않는 공연을 한 대가로 이들은 ‘종교적 증오를 기반으로 한 난동죄’로 기소되는데…. 재판에 회부된 것은 이 여성들일까, 그들이 살고 있는 사회일까. (2013년 제7회 여성인권영화제)

Pussy Riot: The Movement embarks on the odyssey of the girls who rocked a country and continue to fight for human rights throughout the world. Documentary follows Masha Alyokhina, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, and Yekaterina Samutsevich through their harsh two year sentences for playing music to their freedom. What started as a punk rock collective has catapulted to a world movement for human rights.

new movie by VGG