Russian filmmakers were doing their best to establish new international cultural relationships and include our country in the global art world. Vladimir Putin discovered the hatch and buried all these efforts with our national talent.
On February 24, President Putin declared war on Ukraine in all but name. But the war in Russia has been going on for years. Culture, more precisely cinema, has become a battleground. Now we must defend the right to speak out on issues we have debated for decades.
The so-called “gay propaganda” law, the infamous anti-gay legislation, prevents LGBTQ filmmakers like myself from portraying my community without derogatory euphemisms. It was impossible, for example, to film and broadcast a television series about a 15-year-old transgender girl in my country. I’ve seen stories like this dive into launch sessions, only to be killed off before they get the green light.
My high concept art horror script was out of the question. AbsenceFor example, getting government support. In the story, the main character is gay and in the closet, and one of the main problems is undressing them. There is now talk that this law extends to a total ban on all information about LGBTQ people, not just for children, but for all Russians.
Patriarchal and imperial visions of the creative professions have often kept women out of the boardroom ranks and removed ethnic diversity from our screens. Two men wrote and directed a supposedly “pro-feminist” series on one of our local streaming services, a series that actually mocked the feminist movement. Slavic-looking actors receive far more job offers than those who, according to Russian authorities, are “others” and therefore perceived as potential enemies within.
Despite all these starches and rigid prejudices, open-minded Russian writers and directors have achieved incredible things in the last five to seven years. We tried to build a Tower of Babel and we succeeded. Victories at international film festivals, from Andrei Tarkovsky to Andrei Zvyagintsev, made Russian art in cinema famous. There were also commercial successes: Major Grom: Doctor of Plague s silver skatesBoth Russian Netflix originals topped the charts in dozens of countries. Russian series were sold on platforms from Amazon Prime to AppleTV+.
These industry milestones helped pave the way for national talent globally. There is a well-established career in the European art and production world: you write and shoot an independent film in your country, in your language, make an English debut and, if you are lucky, become a studio director. He is the role model for Norwegian director Andre Ovredal (troll hunter, Jane Doe’s Autopsy), the Swede Thomas Alfredsson (let’s do it right, Private Spy Tinker Tailor), or the French filmmaker Julia Ducurnot, who, in addition to the success of the French festival Real s TitanDirected episodes of the AppleTV+ series Employee.
Russian talent sometimes makes that leap abroad. HBO has called director Kantemir Balagov Proximity s beansto control your pilot The last of us Series. Ilya Naishuler directed the action thriller for Universal Pictures. nobody The main role is played by Bob Odenkirk.
But now both domestic successes and international victories by Russian filmmakers are banned. Russia is considered an aggressor country abroad. Its rulers painted their culture in bloody colors. Netflix has stopped production of all Russian originals. The world is trying to catch up with independent Russian talent, but they are extremely cautious. The fate of many films on the international festival circuit is uncertain. I don’t know, for example, if it’s my short film or not. Look to will or may be exhibited on the international circuit. My future career as a director is uncertain.
Like me, many filmmakers fled Russia. We are scattered across neighboring countries, unable to express or express our terrible feeling of dread. It is no longer possible to close our eyes or deceive ourselves about what is happening within the country. Our career paths are constantly changing. Many now seem more than dreams. The Tower of Babel has fallen. Russia’s talent was lost.
It is terrifying to be suddenly uprooted by your own government and unable to express yourself through culture. Will Russian talents be able to defend themselves abroad? unknown. in the column for vanity fairwriter/director Mikhail Idov (Leto, Germany 89) wrote that Vladimir Putin will no longer write in Russian while in power. Perhaps this is the only solution for Russian filmmakers: stop being Russian. Future directors and screenwriters will have to make their way in the English-speaking world, trying to create really great works that bring cultural value to other countries.
Even if it succeeds, it will leave Russian culture an isolated and abandoned area, the shadowy empire that Putin built. What’s the point of invading another country if it turns your home into a cultural desert?
Dima Barchi is a Russian journalist and film director about culture and society. He left Russia and now lives abroad.
Source: Hollywood Reporter

Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.