St. Petersburg cinemas, including Aurora and Rodina, have refused to show a major retrospective of Alexander Sokurov’s films on the occasion of his anniversary, director Lyubov Arkus reported on April 14.
“For the past four years, Sokurov has not released a single film or given distribution certificates. He is on some kind of blacklist. As we found out in a roundabout way, this list was not compiled by the Ministry of Culture and Putin was not the initiator of it,” Arkus wrote on her channel on Telegram.
According to her, simultaneously with the rejection of cinemas in St. Petersburg, it became known that Nikita Mikhalkov invited Sokurov to the 48th Moscow International Film Festival, where the director was to receive a prize “for contribution to world cinema.”
“Wonderful peace, Lord,” Arcos declared.
And in Russia, in 2023, the distribution of Alexander Sokurov’s film “The Fairy Tale”, which is about how Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini and Churchill met in hell, was banned. After this decision by the authorities, Sokurov stated that “his career is over” because he could not continue working – making films and teaching. “Well, where should I go now? What should I do? I am a Russian person, I have a Russian passport. Why should I do my work abroad? Why should I leave and not them? – said Sokurov.
Alexander Sokurov turns 75 on June 14.