No one in Russia is going to watch a Kremlin propaganda film that fictionalizes and justifies the invasion of Ukraine.
“The Witness,” which opened in Russia on Aug. 17, has tanked at the box office and played to empty theaters across the country.
The film, which follows a fictional Belgian violinist who arrives in Kiev shortly before the Russian invasion in February 2022, has grossed 14 million rubles, or about $145,000. The film cost 200 million rubles, or about $2 million, to make.
The film includes numerous snippets of propaganda that the Kremlin has used to try to drum up support for the war, including an image of a Ukrainian commander walking with a copy of “Mein Kampf” as others swear allegiance to Adolf Hitler, The Guardian reported. reported.
Vladamir Putin notably said that Moscow has to “denazify” its neighbor on the eve of the invasion, falsely claiming that Ukraine was infiltrated by Nazis.
“The Witness” is reportedly full of falsehoods used as propaganda by the Kremlin. PA
The film’s protagonist eventually witnesses “inhumane crimes and bloody provocations by Ukrainian nationalists,” according to the film’s premise.
Some moviegoers said they were confused upon arriving at empty theaters.
“I had already seen all the other movies and had a free night, so I decided to just watch it,” said Alexei, a movie buff in Moscow. “When I got to the movie theater, I thought that viewing [had] It ended because it was very empty.”
“The Witness,” which opened in Russia on Aug. 17, has tanked at the box office and played to empty theaters across the country. AP
Experts said the film is failing because it offers Russians more of the same: propaganda and war.
“Russians receive forced propaganda wherever they go: on state television, on the street, in schools and universities,” said Ivan Philippov, creative executive at AR Content, the production company of famed producer Alexander Rodnyansky.
“Many want to see films that allow them to forget for a moment what is really happening, to forget about the doom and gloom news from Ukraine,” he added. “The last thing they want is to be reminded of the war.”
Hundreds of filmmakers, writers, singers and other artists have left Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine, taking the country’s creative talent with them.
“The level and professionalism of the artists who decided to stay in Russia and work with the state is low,” said cultural critic Mikhail Kozyrev. “And viewers can feel when a film is made on behalf of the state. It’s just not authentic.”
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Source: vtt.edu.vn