On the day of Alexei Navalny’s funeral, the leading documentary film festival in the former Soviet countries began in Latvia with a minute of silence. Artdocfest Riga boldly condemned the harsh regimes in Russia and Belarus and offered an important platform for Ukrainian filmmakers and others advocating for freedom and democracy in the area. The festival moved permanently from Moscow to Riga in March 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine and decided not to allow “any film produced in Russian studios in the competition programs.”
However, it featured films by foreign directors that highlighted how the Russian legal system suppresses dissent: Russia vs Lawyers (Masha Novikova, Germany), The Dmitriev Affair (Jessica Gorter, Netherlands), and The Last Relic (Marianna Kaat, Estonia). Silent Sun of Russia (Sybilla Tuxen, Denmark) explores the internal struggles of three young women who fled the war, joining the over 800,000 people who left Russia after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. This number includes filmmakers like Vitaly Akimov, now in France, whose film The Last Summer celebrates a Russian youth culture of alternative art and anti-establishment beliefs.
When The Motherland Aborts You, also known as Country Abortion (Zoya Vodyanova, a pseudonym, Czechia/US), centers on a lesbian couple. Zakhara moves to India, while Lina begins the film in St Petersburg. Zakhara is eager to support Ukraine as a volunteer, but Lina discourages her. The couple is upset by the pro-war attitudes of their families and broader Russian society. This theme also appears in three anonymous films made in Russia: Point of the World, Musicians, and Uno, each illustrating the reactions of young characters, from silent suffering and hypocrisy to private anguish and futile escape attempts. One of the three films in the main competition, Pussy Boys (Darya Andreyanava and Mikalai Kuprych), portrays gay Belarusians. They talk to the camera in private and openly discuss their sexuality in casual conversations on buses—a political stance in a country where homosexuality is soon to be criminalized, similar to Russia. Motherland (Alexander Mihalkovich, Sweden, and Hanna Badziaka, Norway/Ukraine) focuses on a mother examining her son’s suicide in response to the hazing of recruits common in the Soviet and now Belarusian military.
The film provides a broader look at societal violence, as recruits understand they may have to fire on protesters. This is set against the backdrop of the protests following the manipulated 2020 Belarusian elections, when Alexandr Lukashenko harshly cracked down on those demanding he step down for the rightful winner, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. Tsikhanouskaya’s campaign and the protests are featured in Accidental President (Mike Lerner and Martin Herring, UK). The film received an emotional response, with the crowd chanting “Zhyve Belarus” (Long live Belarus), the slogan of the protests. Franak Viačorka, Tsikhanouskaya’s chief political advisor, spoke at the festival, necessitating increased security and highlighting Artdocfest’s significance. Latvia borders both Belarus and Russia, making these authoritarian regimes a threat to their neighbors and their own people. The festival presented five films about Ukraine in its main competition and a special program called Ukraine Above All. Artdocfest has supported films by and about Ukraine since the illegal annexation of Ukraine in 2014, even when it was based in Russia, which was a key reason for its relocation. However, a global interest in Ukrainian documentary films about the war means some major ones now go to festivals like Sundance or Berlin, reaching a wider audience. This was true for 20 Days in Mariupol, which won a 2024 Oscar. Instead, Artdocfest showcased films that subtly reference the war but remain deeply moving. The Mist (Dmytro Shovkoplias) is an immersive film that captures the confusion and disorientation of suddenly finding oneself in a war.
Position (Yurii Pupirin) depicted the daily monotony of Ukrainian soldiers waiting in trenches, battling the elements more than the enemy. A Picture to Remember (Olga Chernykh) and A Bit of a Stranger (Svitlana Lishchynska) both explore identity and family history, a process set off by the displacement caused by Russia’s aggression. This same displacement of up to 10 million people was portrayed by the main prize winner, In the Rearview. Polish director Maciek Hamela filmed Ukrainian passengers he transported to the border as they navigated the initial days of the war and began their journeys as refugees. The documentary evolved from his efforts as a volunteer driver, aiming to capture the stories he encountered. It merges ethics and aesthetics, demonstrating the profound potential of the medium. British historian and Russia expert, Mark Galeotti, proposed that one effective way the West could respond to Navalny’s death is by investing in Russian language media. This would provide an alternative view on domestic and global events for an increasing number of Russians, who are realizing that their government is deceiving them. Artdocfest plays a crucial role in this strategy, offering a platform for free expression near Russia’s border. The festival continues the legacy of Navalny, supporting and amplifying voices that stand against repression.