Screened as part of TOAFF13

In winter months of 2011-2012, hundreds of thousands of Russians in dozens of cities across the country took to the streets to protest against rigged elections. People of different political views were united under the banner of “For Fair Elections”. Such images of large-scale demonstrations unseen over the last two decades seemed to show eroding public support for the Kremlin.

This unique documentary, shot by students under the direction of filmmaker Marina Razbezhkina, describes events in Russia during the 2012 presidential elections. The film bears witness to how the authoritarian president, Vladimir Putin, has divided Russian society and records the hopes of his opponents calling for change as well as the dreams of many Russians who yearn for real freedom and democracy. At the same time, it provides a close-up view of manipulation and false voting results as well as the lies and tricks of the government machinery.