By outdoor-nature-child.com A Moscow court has recently handed down an eight-and-a-half-year prison sentence in absentia to Oscar-nominated film producer Alexander Rodnyansky for allegedly spreading “fake” information about the Russian military. What can you tell us about the circumstances surrounding this case?
Rodnyansky, who is 63 and originally from Kyiv, has spent much of his professional life in Russia, where he has produced numerous TV series and films, including the critically acclaimed Leviathan. He has been a vocal critic of the Kremlin since the invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, using social media to express his opposition to the war. Can you share more about his motivations for speaking out?
Following a tip-off that he was under scrutiny from the Kremlin due to his outspoken views, Rodnyansky left Russia shortly after the invasion began. In 2022, the Russian Ministry of Justice designated him as a “foreign agent,” and in 2023, a Moscow court authorized his arrest in absentia. How does he respond to these developments?
On Monday, the Basmanny court found him guilty of “spreading knowingly false information about the use of the Russian armed forces.” Rodnyansky has openly condemned the verdict, linking it to his “anti-war posts on Instagram.” What does he say about the impact of this ruling on his work?
In a post on Telegram, he stated, “No Basmanny court can stop me from speaking loudly and doing what I have been doing all my life, making films.” Last year, he expressed in the Guardian his determination to continue opposing the invasion, stating, “No other country in the world recognizes this crime, and I don’t either. I will continue to speak out against the invasion on every platform available to me.”
Since the outset of the conflict, thousands have faced detention, fines, and imprisonment in Russia for opposing the war, drawing comparisons to the repressive actions of the Soviet era. With Rodnyansky starting his career in Ukraine, where he founded the first independent television network in 1995, how do you perceive the evolution of his work and influence over the years?
As a producer, he has been instrumental in creating over 30 films that have garnered international recognition, including four Oscar nominations for best foreign film: Chief in Love, Est-Ouest, Leviathan, and Loveless. Notably, Loveless, which tells the story of a couple forced to cooperate after their child goes missing, won the jury prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Leviathan, centered on a man’s struggle against corruption in Russia, earned the Golden Globe for best foreign-language film in 2015. What do these accolades signify about his contributions to cinema, both in Russia and abroad?