By: Petra Janša
I remember going to the Kinodvor to watch the documentary Putin’s Witnesses at the time when the first acquittal in the Novič case resonated. It was directed by today 58-year-old Vitaly Mansky, a Ukrainian director who has been living in voluntary exile in Latvia in recent years after Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014. During the political rise of Vladimir Putin, Mansky, as a documentary filmmaker on Russian state television, had free access to the new ruler of the Russian Empire. This is what Mansky said about the film: “In order to overcome a serious and highly advanced disease, it is necessary to make a diagnosis and research its history. With this in mind, I made a film about the events that followed the unexpected resignation of Russian President Boris Yeltsin and the start of ‘Operation Successor’. I witnessed and participated in the operation that brought Vladimir Putin to the Moscow throne. My testimony is very important not only for Russian society – to cure it of serious diseases, but also for other countries – so that they do not lose their freedom.”
The programme director of the Toronto International Film Festival, Thom Powers, wrote at the time: “Mansky is now returning to the intimate scenes he shot in Putin’s inner circle in 2000 to shed new light on the leader, who has been playing a key role in a world of politics ever since. His testimony helps us better understand the machinations that allowed Putin to consolidate power in this crucial period. /… / This time capsule is an important piece of history and at the same time a warning against political complacency.”
The documentary was edited by Putin’s former personal cameraman from promotional, pre-election, behind-the-scenes footage he shot in 1999-2000. In it, you can see how they created Putin, and at the same time learn his recipe for rule: you must let people be nostalgic. Let them remember the victories in World War II rather than the gulag, or rather, let them feel victorious instead of victims.
The protagonists of the film are Mikhail Gorbachev, Boris Yeltsin, Vladimir Putin, and the Russian people, who, as always, are silent witnesses to their own destiny.
Petra Janša is a journalist for Demokracija magazine.