from vkpr

“I realized that underneath the layers of politics, religion, and history, the story of Pussy Riot is a classic one. It is the story of a younger generation making itself heard by any means necessary” – Maxim Pozdorovkin, director & producer

Filmed over the course of six months, Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer, tells the incredible story of three young women: Nadia (Nadezhda Tolokonnikova), Masha (Maria Alyokhina) and Katia (Yekaterina Samutsevich).

As members of the feminist art collective Pussy Riot, they performed a 40 second “punk prayer” inside Russia’s main cathedral, St Christ the Saviour in Moscow. The state’s response was swift and brutal. The performance led to their arrest on charges of religious hatred and culminated in a trial and sentence of 2 years imprisonment. Their act of defiance also reverberated around the world and transformed the face of Russian society forever.

With unparalleled access and exclusive footage, this film looks at the real people behind their now famous colourful balaclavas.

Following the bizarre and intricate twists of the trial, filmmakers Mike Lerner and Maxim Pozdorovkin filmed the three young women’s fight back against a justice system that seems impervious to logic. From their family and friends we learn what transformed these women from political activists to modern day icons. As Nadia, Masha, and Katia defend their convictions from a cage inside the courtroom, those Pussy Riot members still at liberty plan new guerilla performances and cultivate a protest movement across the globe.

Moving from farce to tragedy and back again, the film explores how political and religious forces contrived to make an example out of three young artists who stepped out of line. But with Nadia, Masha, and Katia, Russia’s ruling powers got more than they bargained for.

The film was the winner of the Special Jury Prize, World Cinema – Documentary, Sundance Film Festival 2013 & winner – British Independent Film Award, Best Documentary, British Independent Film Awards 2013.

The film opens in Toronto on Friday, February 14, 2014 at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema and for more info on film please visit there website.