Unseen Films Sundance (2022) review: ‘NAVALNY’ (coming to CNN and HBOMax in the spring.)

NAVALNY

Follows the man who survived an assassination attempt by poisoning with a lethal nerve agent in August 2020. During his months-long recovery he makes shocking discoveries about the attempt on his life and decides to return home.


My final film for Sundance was  NAVALNY about the Russian opposition leader whom Putin had poisoned with a nerve toxin that if administered correctly shuts off all of your nerves, killing you in a way that looks like a natural death because it dissipates quickly from the body.  The film is an examination of the poisoning by various places including the excellent Bellingcat coupled with a look at Navalny’s career.

Coming into the film after several days of my friends talking it up, I was initially rather disappointed. The early part of the film was kind of dull and run-of-the-mill. The film wasn’t doing anything bad, rather it was hitting the typical points of a story like this. It wasn’t until the poisoning happened that the film clicked and we were off to the races as the story of trying to find a smoking gun link to Putin gave a serious shot of adrenaline into the proceedings. Suddenly there was not only a mystery to be solved but also there was a real danger to the proceedings because other than a stupid person can see clearly how evil Putin is.

I really liked this film a great deal. It’s a compelling story with a connection to current events (the Russian threatened invasion of Ukraine).  You really get a sense of how bad Putin is for his country and the world.

If I have any reservations is that watching the film doesn’t always give us an entirely clear-eyed picture of Navalny. The filmmakers clearly love him, and there’s is no denying he’s at least a seeming better choice than Putin, but there are still questions about his past (links to ultranationalists) and he is a bit too smooth for me to entirely take the word of one film.

Reservations aside the film is highly recommended, if for no other reason than it’s a hell of a story.



To read all of Steve Sundance 2022 coverage, head over to Unseen Films!


Trailer & TEDtalk: ‘THE UNCONDEMNED’ is a riveting documentary about an underdog group of lawyers and activists who defied the odds to do what had never been done: prosecute rape as an international war crime

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Presentsthe-uncondemnedthe-uncondemnedposter

In Theaters Starting Friday October 21st

A film by Michele Mitchell and Nick Louvel

Featuring Original Music by Aloe Blacc and Maya Jupiter

Watch their Live performance of ‘Smile’ at Global Citizen

Michele Mitchell is a longtime investigative reporter, journalist and author who has covered politics and social issues for outlets such as PBS and CNN Headline News. A leading expert on the topic of rape and war crimes, and a passionate activist, Michele was a featured speaker at the Global Citizen Symposium in New York in September and just last year did a TEDTalk, What’s Rape’s Brand?

THE UNCONDEMNED is a courtroom drama, turned upside down when three brave women came forward to tell their story. THE UNCONDEMNED is a riveting documentary about an underdog group of lawyers and activists who defied the odds to do what had never been done: prosecute rape as an international war crime. In 1997, the young men and women at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda found themselves inexplicably in charge of the first case of genocide in history. Underfunded, understaffed and overwhelmed, they faced incredible hurdles as they pursued their first case against a small town mayor. Crimes of war and against humanity had not been prosecuted since 1946, and surviving witnesses feared for their lives. And then, based on a last minute revelation, the prosecuting team amended the charge to include rape. Three heroic women would overcome their fears and shame to speak for all those who could not. Secret memos, witness assassinations, setbacks and barriers – THE UNCONDEMNED captures the untold, remarkable story that changed the course of international judicial history.

For more information, please visithttp://www.theuncondemned.com/#the-film

Featuring:

Pierre Prosper (Lead counsel for the Prosecution,Office of the Prosecutor vs. Jean-Paul Akayesu)

Sara Darehshori (Co-counsel for the prosecution,Office of the Prosecutor vs. Jean-Paul Akayesu)

Patricia Sellersn (Legal Advisor for Gender, International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia)

Binaifer Nowrojee (Researcher for Human Rights Watch in the Women’s Rights Division)

Lisa Pruitt (Gender Consultant for International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda)

Godelieve Mukasarasi (Director, SEVOTA)

And the courageous women of Rwanda that testified at trial

NYC Theater: Landmark Sunshine (10/21)

LA Theater: Laemmle Royal (10/28)

Social Media:

Facebook: @TheUncondemned

Twitter: @TheUncondemned

Instagram:@TheUncondemned