Pussy Riot is a Russian feminist punk rock protest group based in Moscow that made headlines throughout the western world when, in 2012, three members were arrested and charged with hooliganism after staging a performance/protest in Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The documentary was filmed over the course of the following six months, featuring footage of their trial, which gripped music fans, feminists, and political activists in Russia and beyond. This is not your typical music documentary featuring never before footage and backstage shenanigans, rather it probes into the question of freedom of speech for artists living in a repressive regime. The film is slow-going and it takes some effort to get past the subtitles, but it’s worth it for the engaging and enlightening ride-along and a glimpse into the dichotomy of religious and political views that exists in post-Soviet Russia.
[rating:3.5]
– Michelle McChristie
