Russian Cultural Center is pleased to present its 13th Annual Russian Documentary Showcase “Images of Russia”. It will be held in Houston, Dallas, College Station, and Lubbock in collaboration with six Texas universities: University of Houston, Texas Southern University, University of North Texas – Denton, UT – Arlington, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech University.

We proudly announce the movies that we show this year: Putin’s Witnesses by Vitaly Mansky, and The Red Soul  by Jessica Gorter.

Putin’s Witnesses. Drawing on his own archive, lauded filmmaker Vitaly Mansky gives a close account of a turning point in Russia’s recent history. In a surprise move on December 31, 1999, the first president of the Russian Federation Boris Yeltsin handed over the reins to his chosen successor, Vladimir Putin. Putin’s Witnesses covers his first year in power. Putin led the country back to Soviet-style nationalism, and has employed tyrannical methods to remain in power ever since. That knowledge casts an eerie shadow over the filmed material.

The movie Putin’s Witnesses will be presented by producer Natalia Manskaia. She is well-known name in contemporary Russian documentary film production. In addition to her award-winning career in film production, she maintains a position as General Director of the Vertov and Co. production studio.

The Red Soul. The award-winning documentary filmmaker Jessica Gorter (Netherlands) explores nostalgia for Stalin and his era in modern-day Russia. More than 50 years after the death of Joseph Stalin, Russia is still divided. Was Stalin a great leader who made Russia into a superpower? Or was he a ruthless dictator, responsible for the deaths of millions of innocent people? Virtually no family has been left untouched by the consequences of Stalin’s regime, and in every corner of the country, victims’ families are struggling with history. The Red Soul shows how the past lives on in present-day Russia, and thus makes its mark on the future.

Dates and Venues in Houston

Admission is FREE!