KDocsFF 2023 presents Vancouver premiere of Oscar-nominated documentary Navalny
Also showing at Metro Vancouver's premier social justice documentary film festival: Rebellion, nominated for a BAFTA
Navalny.
KDocsFF 2023, Metro Vancouver's premier social justice documentary film festival, is proud to be presenting a stellar lineup of films. This year’s programming includes the Vancouver premiere of Navalny, which has been nominated for Best Documentary at the 2023 Academy Awards; and Rebellion, nominated for a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award.
Navalny is director Daniel Roher’s remarkable telling of the true-life story of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
On August 20, 2020, Navalny fell severely ill on a flight from Tomsk to Moscow. He had been poisoned with a nerve agent and could only be rescued within inches of his life. The murder attempt came after years of an ever-increasing showdown between Navalny and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In Navalny, Roher connects with Navalny’s inner circle while the anti-corruption activist recuperates in exile in Germany and subsequently tries to find the perpetrators with the aid of research network Bellingcat. The Bellingcat investigator manages to identify the kill team that went after Navalny. In a truly stunning scene, Navalny talks on the telephone to the men who tried to murder him.
Equally suspensful is the plane ride back from Germany to Moscow, where Navalny knows the authorities will await him. In extensive interviews, Roher dives into Navalny’s incentives and his vision for Russia, while not shying away from difficult topics—like his past alignments with extreme-right nationalists.
Navalny screens on Thursday, February 23 at 7:40 pm at VIFF Centre’s Vancity Theatre. The Keynote Speaker is Lisa Sundstrom of the Department of Political Science and Principal Investigator of ActInCourts Network out of UBC.
Rebellion, directed by Elena Sánchez Bellot and Maia Kenworthy, brings viewers behind-the-scenes with Extinction Rebellion (XR), as the group confronts the climate emergency—reminding the world there is no time to wait. The documentary has received a BAFTA nomination for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer.
Rebellion screens on Friday, February 24 at 5:25 pm at VIFF Centre’s Studio Theatre. The Keynote Speaker is Farhana Yamin, lawyer, author, speaker, activist, and co-author of Paris Climate Accords.
For tickets and more information about KDocsFF 2023, see here.
Post sponsored by KDocsFF.