Victory Day by Alina Rudnitskaya in State of Affairs

20.01.2015.

Through the stories of several same-sex couples, the most recent film by the winner of the 3rdZagrebDox Alina Rudnitskaya, Victory Day, explores a new, homophobic chapter in the history of modern-day Russia.

The 11thZagrebDox’s State of Affairs section includes the most recent documentary by Alina Rudnitskaya, the Russian director who won the 2007 ZagrebDox Big Stamp for her film Civil Status. The 8thZagrebDox programme screened her film I Will Forget This Day, and the 2009 section Socio-capitalism screened her award-winning documentary Bitch Academy.

Is it possible to expound all the problems and contradictions of Putin’s Russia in 29 minutes? No, but Victory Day by Alina Rudnitskaya is one of the chapters of modern-day Russia told through the stories of its protagonists. In 2013 the Russian Parliament passed a law banning public promotion of non-traditional sexual relations between minors. This law led to the rise of homophobia in the society. And while protagonists sit in their comfortable homes and talk about how this law changed their lives, a military parade is marching in the streets. After Jews and queer people, they only thing we still lack is a law against witches, says one of the protagonists. Welcome to the Middle Ages, welcome to Russia today. Victory Day was selected for DOK Leipzig’s competition.