Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer

Directed by Mike Lerner and Maksim Pozdorovkin, Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer is a documentary about the Russian feminist punk rock collective Pussy Riot and their defiance against the Russian government. The film explores the group’s political stance as well as the controversy they received that got them international attention. The result is a fascinating yet exciting documentary about the notorious Russian feminist punk rock collective.

The film revolves around the feminist punk collective called Pussy Riot where on February 21, 2012, the band performed at Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior where three of five its members in Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich were arrested for their performance. Though their intention wasn’t to offend anyone, they were protesting at the church over the Russian Orthodox Church’s support for Vladimir Putin’s campaign to become President of Russia for the third time. The film explores not just the formation of the group in the wake of Putin’s return to presidency but also the forms of protests they were in as well as the background of the three women who were arrested for their performance at the church.

Directors Mike Lerner and Maksim Pozdorovkin definitely shows the arguments from both the Pussy Riot collective and the families of its incarcerated members as well as the perspective of the Orthodox Church and others who oppose Pussy Riot’s actions. Both sides do show some fine points of where they’re coming from yet it does raise questions into Putin’s rule and what is happening to the members of Pussy Riot as they’re being put into trial. Similar to which plays into some of the show trials that happened in the Soviet Union from 1936 to 1938 where it sparked protests as it got international attention.

With help from editors Simon Barker and Esteban Uyarra and cinematographer Antony Butts, the film features news footage from Russia as well as international responses where social media becomes a big help to bring Pussy Riot‘s protests to the world. Notably as it features some pictures of the three women as girls and how they got involved into the world of protesting as they came of age during the collapse of the Soviet Union. Even as the women are aware that the trial is a farce where they know that it’s run by the government though the prosecutors claim they’re not working for Putin. Still, they are very intelligent as they would also ask questions about the legal system as their lawyers know that things still aren’t right with the Russian legal system. The result of the trial isn’t surprising though what the women did do with their beliefs did inspire a revolution of sorts where women would get the chance to express their beliefs.

With music by Simon Russell that is mostly ambient, the film’s soundtrack consists of the music of Pussy Riot that is very exciting as it features the kind of spirit that is definitely missing in the world of punk rock. Notably as punk had become very neutered in Western culture to the point that it’s become pop music again. What Pussy Riot does is bring some bite back to the genre and make it mean something again. There’s also a piece by Peaches with another artist that is simply called Free Pussy Riot.

Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer is a fantastic documentary from Mike Lerner and Maksim Pozdorovkin about the Russian feminist punk rock collective. It’s a film that showcases a world where art can do some changes in the world and challenge things while unveiling some of the atrocities that are happening in Russia under Putin’s rule. In the end, Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer is an amazing film from Mike Lerner and Maksim Pozdorovkin.

© thevoid99 2013