Friday, February 15, 2013

"Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer" (HBO special)

HBO.com; Amber Dorrian, Seven, Wisdom Quarterly; Todd Cunningham, The Wrap, 1-21-13
Russian police guard dangerous Pussy Riot "hooligans" in glass cage during trial.
  
HBO Documentary Films picked up U.S. television rights to "Pussy Riot - A Punk Prayer" at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival Sunday.

Directed by Mike Lerner and Maxim Pozdorovkin, the film made its world premiere [at Sundance] Friday night to a sold-out Park City crowd.

(TheHotButton) DP/30@Sundance '13: "Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer"
directors Mike Lerner and Maxim Pozdorovkin in Park City 2013
 
American Pussy Riot supporters (scpr.org)
"Pussy Riot - A Punk Prayer" tells the story of three young women: Nadia, Masha, and Katya [shown above in a glass cell]. 
 
As members of the feminist art collective Pussy Riot, they performed a 40 second "punk prayer" inside Russia's main cathedral. [Recently, the feminist European collective FEMEN.org followed in their footsteps with a topless protest in France's Notre Dame cathedral.]
 
Germany, Aug. 2012 (Marcus Brand/AFP/DPA)
This performance led to their arrest on charges of religious hatred and culminated in a trial that has reverberated around the world. With unparalleled access and exclusive footage, this film looks at the real people behind their now famous colorful balaclavas [shown at right as worn by German Pussy Riot supporters].

Produced by Lerner and Pozdorovkin, "Pussy Riot - A Punk Prayer" was executive produced by Martin Herring and Havana Marking for Roast Beef Productions; Maxyne Franklin for Britdoc Bertha Fund; Nick Fraser and Kate Townsend for BBC Storyville; Nick Quested and Christina Willoughby for Goldcrest Films International. Cinetic Media negotiated the deal with HBO Documentary Films. Goldcrest Films International is handling international sales.

The original "Punk Prayer" (against Putin) performed in the cathedral

No comments: