The most important ceremony of American cinema had its political moment on Sunday. And this one must not have pleased the Kremlin. The Oscar for Best Documentary went to Navalnya film recounting the events linked to the poisoning of the famous imprisoned Russian opponent.
Directed by Canadian Daniel Roher, this investigation describes the political rise of Alexei Navalny, the assassination attempt which he barely survived and his subsequent imprisonment. “There is someone who could not be with us this evening: Alexei Navalny, the leader of the Russian opposition, remains in solitary confinement because of what he calls – I want to be sure to quote his words correctly – Vladimir Putin’s unjust war of aggression in Ukraine,” the director said upon receiving the statuette.
Sentenced in March to nine years in prison
Imprisoned for more than two years, Alexeï Navalny was arrested on his return to Russia after suffering this serious poisoning which he attributes to the Kremlin. Last March, he was sentenced to nine years in prison on charges of “scam” which he considers fictitious. “My husband is in prison simply because he told the truth. My husband is in prison simply because he defends democracy,” the dissident’s wife, Yulia, said on Sunday.
Produced by HBO Max and CNN Films, Navalny had premiered on January 25, 2022 at the Sundance Film Festival. The prize for best documentary was also awarded to him in February 2023 at the Bafta in London.
