Cinema chain chief Alexey Vasyasin has responded to legal threats from lawmaker Elena Drapeko over illegal foreign film screenings in Russian movie theaters. Speaking at the National News Service press center, Vasyasin urged Drapeko to back up her words by helping the Ministry of Culture file a formal police report.
Drapeko, who serves as deputy chairperson of the State Duma Committee on Culture, spoke sharply to the outlet about unauthorized film distribution after the blockbuster Spider-Man: A New Day earned nearly 900 million rubles during its opening weekend in Russian box office receipts. In response to the high earnings, Drapeko suggested turning over screening data on bootleg foreign releases to law enforcement agencies.
Vasyasin, who heads Cinema Park and Formula Kino, Russia's largest combined cinema network, insisted that enforcement rests with government authorities. He stated that only a copyright holder not represented in Russia or the Ministry of Culture has legal standing to file a complaint with the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He noted that the ministry could initiate administrative proceedings or bring criminal charges in cases involving large financial amounts.
Demands for Official Complaints
Because Drapeko leads the parliamentary committee overseeing the Ministry of Culture, Vasyasin argued that she holds the necessary influence to coordinate a police application. He said he expects the lawmaker to take concrete legal action rather than restricting her comments to public warnings.
Concerns Over Domestic Revenue Reports
Film critic David Shneiderov questioned the logic of state prosecution, telling the press center that government action against cinemas would amount to a shot in the foot. He explained that the Ministry of Culture routinely reports massive domestic box office figures by counting ticket sales from short films shown directly before unapproved foreign features such as Minions, Odyssey, and Spider-Man.
Shneiderov emphasized that state officials present those combined revenues as Russian cinema earnings, asking why the Ministry of Culture would cut off the branch it sits on by investigating the practice.
