Politzek, the voices that challenge the Kremlin

Overview

In Russia, criticizing the war in Ukraine or Vladimir Putin’s regime has become a crime. Thousands of ordinary citizens are being arrested, tried, and imprisoned. They are called “Politzek”: political prisoners. Filmed clandestinely over the course of more than a year, Politzek gives a platform to those who, despite the fear, continue to speak out against Putin’s repressive Russia. Through the intersecting stories of a teenager sentenced to five years in prison for criticizing the government on social media, a young artist jailed for placing anti-war stickers, a human rights activist, and two theater directors facing Kafkaesque trials, the film unveils the machinery of state repression in Russia. With rare footage, broken yet unyielding voices, this is a story of silenced resistance.

Details

Status

Released

Release date

March 7, 2026

Original language

English

Spoken languages

English, French, Russian

Countries

Belgium, France

Production

RTBF,France Télévisions,SWR,Shelter Prod,VRT,Mediawan Rights,DW,Clin d'oeil Films,BABEL Doc,Wildbird Films

Director

Ekaterina Mamontova,Manon Loizeau

Writer

Sacha Koulaeva,Manon Loizeau

Producer

Stéphanie Lebrun,Hanne Phlypo

Music

Alexei Aigui

Budget

Not recorded

Revenue

Not recorded

IMDb

View on IMDb