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Putin's Witnesses

2018 · Movie · 103 min · ★ 6.3 · 78% critics

DocumentaryHistory

Using up-close footage from a pivotal year in Russia, this documentary follows the sudden transfer of power after a leader steps down and a little-known successor takes charge. It offers a firsthand look at image-making, political ambition, and the uneasy mood around a major national turning point.

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Details
Original title
Свидетели Путина
Years
2018
Release date
2018-11-08
Language
Russian
Runtime
103 min
Critic score
78/100
TMDB rating
6.3/10 (43 votes)
About

You may like this if you want intimate political documentaries built around real access and unsettling hindsight, especially if Meeting Gorbachev or State Funeral interested you; Not for you if you need lots of background or brisk pacing.

Pros: rare insider footage; timely political subject; thought-provoking moments | Cons: limited context; slow pacing; uneven presentation

Themes

  • presidential election
  • rise to power
  • russian history
  • documentary filmmaking
  • christmas reunion
  • vladimir putin
  • 1990s
  • celebrity interview
  • political documentary
  • 2000s
  • russian federation
  • boris yeltsin

Awards & recognition

  • European Film Award — Best Documentary · 2019 · nominated

Cast & crew

Directed by Vitaly Mansky