This documentary focuses on the pitfalls of groupthink in modern Russia.
It shows a young woman, Masha Drokova, who skyrocketed to the top of a pro-Putin group called Nashi, a political youth organization. She was the group’s spokesperson and was a firm believer in Putin’s rule. That is, until she met some opposition journalists.
What Putin’s Kiss does very well is show Drokova’s gradual shift from the Putin camp to the opposition. The seeds are planted early in the film and we see them grow to fruition as the movie progresses. When Drokova reveals to her superior in Nashi that she has befriended opposition journalists, he tells her it’s either them or him.
What is disturbing is how Nashi adopts the practices of Germany’s Nazis many years ago. They intimidate opposition figures and even burn books they deem unpatriotic.
The last straw for Drokova is the brutal beating of journalist and blogger Oleg Kashin by people believed to be part of Nashi.
She had it all: an apartment, a car, and her own (pro-Putin) television talk show. Drokova also had the ear of the head of Nashi (Vasily Yakemenko), who was in Putin’s cabinet.
This is more than just a story about the current situation in Russia. It is about the turmoil in the heart of a young woman who always wants to fall on the side of right.
Putin’s Kiss is available to rent.
Murphy can be reached at: [email protected]
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