Putin’s Witnesses
DOC | 01:42 | LATVIA – SWITZERLAND – CZECH REPUBLIC
DIRECTOR VITALY MANSKY | SCREENPLAY VITALY MANSKY
A COPRODUCTION STUDIO VERTOV, GOLDENEGGPRODUCTION & HYPERMARKET FILM
It’s New Year’s Eve in 1999, and Russia is about to undergo a historic transformation. President Boris Yeltsin, aging and weak, steps down and appoints a little-known figure, Vladimir Putin, to replace him. Celebrated filmmaker Vitaly Mansky was there to capture the transition. Now, for the first time ever, he dips into his archives for a rare glimpse at the young Putin and the vast political machine that brought him to power.
Biography
Vitaly Mansky, Director
Vitaly Mansky was born in 1963 in Lviv /Ukraine, USSR.
V. Mansky graduated from VGIK — All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography in 1989 and became one of the most prominent contemporary Russian documentary filmmakers and producers. He has shot more than 30 films as a director which were screened at festivals worldwide and were awarded several times. As a producer, Mansky produced films with directors like Renata Litvinova, Alexander Rastorguyev, Sergey Miroshnichenko, Dmitry Zhelkovsky, and Sergei Loznitsa.
In 1996 he launched a project that aims to archive amateur private video files that were shot in the times of the former USSR (from 30’s till 90’s of the ХХth century).
V.Mansky is the producer of the national Laurel Leaf award for the best Russian documentary films. He is the founder and President of Artdocfest — Russian Open Documentary Film Festival for Russian-language creative documentaries.
Since 2014 V. Mansky lives in Latvia.
Filmography (recent selection)
Festivals
2018: Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (Czech Republic)
2018: TIFF Toronto International Film Festival (Canada)
2018: Camden IFF (USA)
2018: Bergen IFF (Norway)
2018: Zurich IFF (Switzerland)
2018: Vancouver IFF (Canada)
2018: CinEast FF Luxembourg (Luxembourg)
2018: Antenna IDF Sydney (opening film) (Australia)
2018: Flanders FF Ghent (Belgium)
2018: BFI London IFF (UK)
2018: Adelaide IFF (Australia)
2018: Brisbane IFF (Australia)
2018: Astra FF Sibiu (Romania)
2018: Riga IFF (Latvia)
2018: Jihlava IDF (Czech Republic)
2018: Dok Leipzig (Germany)
2018: Leeds IFF (UK)
2018: Stockholm IFF (Sweden)
2018: AFI Fest Los Angeles (USA)
2018: Sevilla European FF (Spain)
2018: Cork IFF (Ireland)
2018: Cineuropa FF Santiago de Compostela (Spain)
2018: IDFA Amsterdam (Netherlands)
2018: Black Nights FF Tallinn (Estonia)
2018: Porto/Post/Doc IDF (Portugal)
2018: Bratislava IFF (Slovakia)
Awards
2018: Grand Prix for Best Documentary | Karlovy Vary IFF
2018: Harrell Award – Special Mention | Camden IFF
2018: Bronze Horse Award for Best International Documentary | Stockholm IFF
Written & directed by
Vitaly Mansky
Editing
Gunta Ikere
Music
Kārlis Auzāns
Sound Design
Anrijs Krenbergs
Picture Design
Alexandra Ivanova
Color Grading
Patrick Lindemaier | Andromeda Film AG
Produced by
Studio Vertov | Natalia Manskaia
GoldenEggProduction | Gabriela Bussmann
Hypermarket Films | Filip Remunda, Vít Klusák
In coproduction with
ZDF / ARTE
RTS – Radio Télévision Suisse
SRG SSR
Ceská Televize
Swiss Distribution
Aardvark Film Emporium
World Sales
Deckert Distribution
