The NZ International Film Festival has begun!

My favourite of today was ‘Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer’ – a documentary about the Russian feminist punk group, of which two members are currently serving a sentence of 2-years in prison for doing a minute-long, anti-Putin performance in a church.

Movie Trailer:

Original performance video:

Clearly the punishment does not fit the so-called ‘crime’. It really is hard to comprehend the madness of the situation, but the women seem to remain admirably strong amongst it all, knowing full well that their miserable situation has in effect given their message a more powerful voice.

I only recently realised the severity of Russia’s societal issues after listening to this interesting interview on Radio New Zealand with Masha Gessen, a Russian author who has written on Vladimir Putin’s mafia-style rule and spoke of the anti-gay laws that were recently passed that make it illegal for gay people to claim equality, or stage gay-pride marches in Moscow for 100 years!