The Term allows a glimpse into the lives of leading opposition members in Putin’s Russia before the Ukraine conflict. The film focuses on Alexei Navalny, who started out as an anti-corruption blogger and ended up as a presidential candidate, Ksenia Sobchak, a TV starlet and Putin’s goddaughter who turned to the opposition, liberal Ilya Yashin, left-radical politician Sergei Udaltsov, and the members of the world famous punk rock band Pussy Riot. The camera follows the protagonists to protests and court rooms, on the streets of Paris, during office work in Moscow, in police cars, on parties and in cafes.
The Term, originally a cross-media online project and the country’s perhaps most discussed film, is a story about the fight for justice and a better world. It shows how resistance - in this case against the Kremlin - can become the meaning of life. This cynical film does not follow the historically accurate chronology of events, but rather shows the development inside the members of the opposition. Although the three directors observe very accurately, they still leave enough room for the audience to draw their own conclusions.
Producer The Term
Srok
Aleksei Pivovarov, Pavel Kostomarov, Aleksandr Rastorguev
Alexei Pivovarov
Documentary
Documentary Competition
Russia | Estonia 2014
Russian, Engl. subtitles
83 min