These days, the new war film “The Witness” is rolling around on the big screens in Russia. The film is the country’s first feature film about the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and premiered on 17 August.
– We are invincible
Empty cinema halls are reported
But it does not seem that the Russians have allowed themselves to be captivated by the blockbuster. According to Alexei, a Russian who has spoken to The Guardianfor example, only three people appeared in a cinema hall in Moscow where there was room for over 100 people.
– When I got to the cinema hall I thought the film was over because the hall was so empty, says Alexei, who wishes to keep his name anonymous for security reasons, to the newspaper.
The state-supported film is said to have had a budget of 200 million roubles, approximately NOK 22 million. During the first two weeks, however, it should have only raked in 14 million roubles, approximately NOK 1.5 million, and there are reports of empty cinemas all over the country, writes The Guardian.
A propaganda film spreading in Russia has been revealed using facial recognition. Video: YouTube. Reporter: Mia Engenes Bratlie / Dagbladet TV. view more
– No surprise
In the film, you meet the Belgian violinist Daniel Cohen, who travels to Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, when war suddenly breaks out. He witnesses a series of “inhuman crimes and bloody provocations by Ukrainian nationalists,” according to the film’s synopsis.
In the film, a Ukrainian general is seen walking around with a copy of Adolf Hitler’s autobiography “Mein Kampf”, while Ukrainian soldiers pledge their allegiance to the Nazi leader.
The weak interest in “The Witness” testifies to cracks in the Russian propaganda, believes Ivan Phillippov, creative director of the Ukrainian film company AR Content.
– The Russians are force-fed propaganda everywhere, so it’s no surprise that they don’t bother spending their own money to see more, he says to The Guardian.
– Has been forced
Will forget
Several polls have shown that many Russians are not interested in the war in Ukraine, and would rather have preferred to ignore it altogether.
The Levada Center, Russia’s only independent pollster, recently released results showing that 40 percent of Russians are not actively following the war in Ukraine, while only 23 percent of respondents said they are “following closely.”
– Many people probably want to see films that allow them to forget gloomy circumstances, and the last thing they want is to be reminded of the war, says Phillippov to the newspaper.
2023-09-05 00:53:20
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