Plot synopsis

In Russia, criticizing the war in Ukraine or Vladimir Putin's regime has become a crime.
Thousands of ordinary citizens are arrested, tried, and imprisoned. They are called the "Politzek": political prisoners. Filmed clandestinely over nearly a year, Politzek: Voices That Challenge the Kremlin gives voice to those who, despite fear, refuse and denounce Vladimir Putin's repressive Russia.
Through the intersecting stories of a teenager sentenced to five years in prison for criticizing the government on social media, a young artist imprisoned for labeling the war, a human rights activist, and a theater director facing Kafkaesque trials, the film deciphers the repressive machinery of the Russian state.
Rare images, broken but resilient voices, and a profoundly human story of stifled resistance.

commentaries

“Politzek, les voix qui défient le Kremlin” : un documentaire admirable filmé en secret pour pouvoir exister, Isabelle POITTE, Telerama, 2025

Dans «Politzek, les voix qui défient le Kremlin», Ekaterina Mamontova plonge dans la nuit sans fin des opposants russes, Veronika DORMAN, Libération, 2025

Selected in the following festivals or events :

- Artdocfest / International, Different cities (World), 2026

Images