Putin stunned as furious Russian attacks him in live TV confrontation – ‘total dead end’ | World | News
A famous Russian film director launched a blistering attack on Vladimir Putin during a lively debate with the Kremlin dictator. The best-known work of Alexander Sokurov, one of Russia’s most talented filmmakers, is Russian Ark, released in 2002.
He also made Faust, which won the Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival. The director was invited to a session of the Presidential Council on Civil Society and Human Rights on Wednesday. The Russian leader, who attended the meeting via video link from the Kremlin castle, was also there.
Members of the advisory board are carefully vetted and selected by the Kremlin, and the sessions are carefully staged to avoid any embarrassment.
But Sokurov went largely off script when criticizing Putin for his wartime repression. He attacked Russia’s so-called ‘foreign agents’ law, saying it was degrading and prevented people from “developing and surviving”.
We watch with concern every week who becomes a foreign agent and how these terrible definitions are implemented.
“They just name names, make various allegations against one person and then that’s it, it’s over.”
This label is used by the Kremlin to target individuals and organizations it deems enemies of the state.
Those subject to this designation are required to file strict financial reports with the Department of Justice, as well as display “foreign agent” disclaimers in publications and social media posts.
Sokurov then took aim at the increasingly stringent censorship, saying that Russia still “does not know how to hold political discussions with young people, with older children and with students. The country is afraid of these discussions.”
“We won’t get very far if we don’t change the way we work with young people,” he added. “This will be a complete dead end, an absolute regression of the entire state system.”
Finally, he reminded the dictator of his bitter words about Russia and its place in the world.
“You once said: ‘If there is no Russia, why do we need a world?’ he said. “Why do we need a state without the possibility of education?”
