After the withdrawal of such large studios as Disney or Warner Bros. from Russia, some cinemas in the country are facing great difficulties. To survive, they circumvent sanctions by using hackers.
After Russia invaded Ukraine, several major Hollywood studios decided not to release their films until the conflict was resolved in the country.
Disney, Warner Bros., Sony or Paramount have taken a radical decision to leave the Russian market.
“In view of the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and the tragic humanitarian crisis, we are discontinuing theatrical release of films in Russia, including Pixar’s forthcoming Red Alert.”A Disney statement said shortly after the start of the war in Ukraine.
Blockbusters such as Batman, Morbius, or Fantastic Beasts3 were thus stripped of their ability to enter Lenin’s country, creating serious difficulties for the film industry.
According to the Russian Theater Owners Association, 80% of theaters in Russia are at risk of going out of business. This organization, which represents about 700 cinemas, fears a real collapse after these sanctions.
“We are concerned about the high probability of liquidation of the entire film industry in the country, against the background of the introduction of large-scale and unprecedented sanctions.“, – say in the association.
“Unfortunately, the number and quality of Russian films offered to the public do not meet the high demand for cinema content.He added.
Theater operators try their best to show national performances, Asian and Bollywood films.
Hacking bypassing sanctions
However, some theaters resort to piracy to show viewers Hollywood-sanctioned feature films.
According to Torrent FrickCited phonandroid.com, “Despite blocking, Russian cinemas started showing Hollywood major films in mid-April 2022, and illegal screenings took place in several major cities..
In this way, Batman was able to sneak into Russian cinemas, just like Do Not Look. The latter, which runs on Netflix, is not visible as the platform has suspended subscriber accounts in Russia.
Also according to Torrent Freak, many cameramen illegally download feature films for unhidden delivery. The movies are even dubbed in Russian with HD visual quality.
The Association of Cinema Owners strongly condemned this practice. “Illegal public distribution of pirated copies contributes to the expulsion of the Russian film industry.
“We condemn the practice of illegal screening of films in Russian cinemas and call on the entire professional film community to refrain from such practices.”
According to the organization, “The hacking scandal was caused by the government’s lack of effective response to the critical situation.”
Source: allocine
Emily Jhon is a product and service reviewer at Gossipify, known for her honest evaluations and thorough analysis. With a background in marketing and consumer research, she offers valuable insights to readers. She has been writing for Gossipify for several years and has a degree in Marketing and Consumer Research from the University of Oxford.
