Putin's Witnesses Apr 2026

: Reveals how "heartwarming" scenes, like Putin visiting his former teacher, were carefully staged for public consumption . 🌍 Impact and Availability PUTIN'S WITNESSES (SVIDETELI PUTINA) - AFI FEST

: Features a poignant scene where Boris Yeltsin waits by the phone on election night for a call from his successor—a call that never comes . Putin's Witnesses

The film is built on unique archive footage Mansky shot between 1999 and 2000 . At the time, he was the head of documentaries for Russian state television and was granted "unnervingly intimate" access to film a propaganda piece for Putin’s first campaign . : Reveals how "heartwarming" scenes, like Putin visiting

: Shows a "younger, more agile" Putin who is surprisingly comfortable being directed on camera, even discussing his choice to reinstate the Soviet national anthem . At the time, he was the head of