Putin’s Witnesses (Vitaliy Manskiy, 2018): Russia

Film reviewed by Michael Wynne, viewed at 2018 AFI fest.

In 1999, Boris Yeltsin resigned early as president of Russia. He was strategically replaced by his protégé, Vladimir Putin. This gave Putin a few months head start of practice in office before the 3rd presidential election in new Russia. Vitaliy Manskiy, a filmmaker was allowed to film the world around how Putin won the election. The film shows human sides of Yeltsin and Putin that create for one hour and forty five minutes of fascinating insight on how Russia’s presidents are so successful at staying in power, no matter the reputation they carry.

The film starts with Vitaliy Manskiy interviewing his family about Russia’s new president, Vladimir Putin. Manskiy’s wife was crying that Putin won and said “he is worse than the devil.” A small amount of Russia’s population knew the type of man that Putin really was. Manskiy interviews his whole family about the new president. His daughters are oblivious to the real significance and only repeat what their mom says. Afterwards, Maskiy shows the audience footage of the streets of Russia then we are shown the story.

To put the importance of Putin’s first presidential election into context, here’s a history lesson.

On Christmas in 1991, Russia abolished their communist rule looking at a more democratic approach. On June 12, months later, Boris Yeltsin was elected as Russia’s first President. Yeltsin was the first and only president to date that American people supported. He was against anything that had to do with communism and he changed the nation… Putin was the following president, and did not fight the battles Yeltsin sought to battle.

The film was not shot with a high budget. In fact, it is all filmed on a hand held camera. The camera quality still does not take from the beautiful places where some scenes take place. A large portion of the film is in the home of Boris Yeltsin, where his whole family lives and you see the whole Yeltsin family dynamic. The film is fascinating. There are sides to Yeltsin and Putin that can only be seen in this film.

I highly recommend anyone go see this film. It is rare documentaries interest me as much as Putin Witnesses. The story is draws you in, it feels like a well written political thriller. Except it is a true story that can open up your eyes to how fortunate we are that Americans as a population are not controlled like the people in Russia.