Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer

“Art is not a mirror to reflect the world, but a hammer with which to shape it,” comes a quote from dramatist and poet, Bertolt Brecht, to begin the documentary about the infamous Russian protest group, Pussy Riot. You’ll remember them from such Olympics as Sochi 2014 — they were filmed being horse whipped for an art bomb agitation performance.

The film tells Pussy Riot’s story, as they were catapulted to international fame after staging a performance at Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior. They were stopped by church security and turned the filmed footage into a music video called ‘Punk Prayer – Mother of God, Chase Putin Away!’ A feminist, anti-Putin group, their protest was largely aimed at the separation of church and state, and the church’s questionable support of Putin during the election. Shortly after, three members were arrested for hooliganism and religious hatred, and sentenced to a couple of years in the hoosegow (two of them got away and went underground, and one was set free on appeal).

The documentary starts out as an important story about freedom of speech and the conditions for women in Russia, and goes on to expose a rotten religious fanaticism on display from the Russian Orthodox Church that fuels the flames of a nationalist bigotry that is sadly gripping the country.

The filmmakers don’t have access to members of Pussy Riot, just archival and police interviews, as well as the talking heads of some of their family members. Some of these interviews add a lot to the story in terms of context, even if the movie itself isn’t all that dynamic. When I say the movie isn’t dynamic, I’m referring only to the filmmaking itself. It feels a bit cobbled together, like a cable TV documentary show episode, and doesn’t have much of a style of its own.

However, that’s not to say that you shouldn’t watch it — quite the opposite. The events themselves are so interesting (and the information is presented well), you find yourself engrossed in watching some of the bullies and characters throwing their weight around Mother Russia. Considering the subject, I might expect the movie to burst off the screen with a raised punk fist, to knock out my teeth — it doesn’t. However, it’s an important story for a lot of reasons, namely that It’s a great look at what’s going on over there. And hey, maybe orderly and efficient is the new loud and chaotic, and letting the story tell itself is punk after all.

Tags: documentary, movies, music, punk, pussy riot, pussy riot: a punk prayer, russian religious zealotry, sundance

About the Author

Craig Silliphant is a D-level celebrity with delusions of grandeur. A writer, critic, creative director, editor, broadcaster, and occasional filmmaker, his thoughts have appeared on radio, television, in print, and on the web. He is a juror on the Polaris Music Prize and the Juno Awards. He loves Saskatoon. He has horrible night terrors and apocalyptic dreams.