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The New Greatness Case offers remarkable access to a group of young Russians entrapped by the secret service, resulting in unjust trials and prison sentences – echoing the intensified crackdown on dissent and free expression in Russia we see on the news every day.

Synopsis

As we are witnessing the intensified crackdown on dissent and free expression in Russia, The New Greatness Case brings you into the life of young Russians caught in the crossfire. Anya was an ordinary teenager, discussing Russian politics and social issues on the internet with a group of friends, when a secret agent joined their chat group and rented them a meeting space – pushing them towards direct physical action. Police storm their homes to arrest and jail the teens, accusing them of plotting to overthrow the government and fabricating charges of extremism. Three years later, Anya’s mother, continuing her desperate fight to prove her daughter’s innocence, has transformed from a loyal follower of Vladimir Putin to a hunger-strike enacting political activist. With hidden camera footage, and an intimate relationship with the protagonists, director Anna Shishova shows the complete repression of present-day Russia, and how young, free-thinking people, are seen as a threat to the government.

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“A courageous and dedicated film with incredible scenes. The case against the kids is so grotesque, it keeps you watching for the next twist.”

- Bill Van Esveld, Associate Director, Children’s Rights Division, Human Rights Watch

Credits

Anna Shishova

Director

Anna Shishova graduated from Moscow State University with a degree in Modern Russian History in 2008, before going on to study second degree in documentary filmmaking in VGIK (Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography in Moscow). She graduated in 2013. Between 2012 and 2013 Anna participated in exchange program between VGIK and SADA (Stockholm Academy of Dramatic Arts). In 2016 she took part in AFS documentary workshop in Los Angeles. Anna's two feature films “Katya” and “On the Edge” won a number of national and international awards. She has been working as a freelance, making documentaries and commercial videos. Over the last couple of years Anna's husband and fellow filmmaker Dmitry Bogolyubov collaborated with her on a documentary feature film “Town of Glory” that was made with the support of ZDF ARTE and Check TV.

Vlad Ketkovich

Producer

Born in Moscow in 1971. In the 1990s he worked in the field of visual anthropology and ethnography, organized several expeditions to Asia, Africa and the Amazon. Published materials in Geo, Nat. Geographic, Oriental Collection, and other media. Taught natural history in the US National Park for a year. In 2000 he founded the Ethnofund Film Company. Graduated a number of European production seminars, including EAVE. Since 2010, the film company has produced over 30 documentaries both independently and internationally with the USA, Germany, France, Norway, Czech Republic, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Poland and Austria. These films were shown on numerous TV channels and were selected and at festivals llke CPH: DOX, HotDocs, Krakow IFF, DokLeipzig IFF, Zurich IFF, Al-Gouna IFF, München IFF, DocAviv IFF, , Shanghai IFF, Moscow IFF, and others.

Iikka Vehkalahti

Producer

Executive Producer of IV Films, Toinen katse Ltd and Rough Cut Service. He was a commissioning Editor for the Finnish Broadcasting Company, YLE Documentaries, Finland 1998-2015 Executive Producer for Steps For The Future and one of the Series Producers for Why Democracy. A visiting professor in Tampere University 2011-2012. His activities as an independent producer from 2015 forward includes the production of Sundance awarded Machines by Rahul Jain  nd Raghu Rai- an unframed portrait by Avani Rai, premiered at IDFA . He has been a co-producer in Winnie by Pascal Lamche, awarded at Sundance and Chris the Swiss by Anja Komfelt, premiered at Cannes 2018. Currently finished the production of Invisible Demons by Rahul Jain premier in Cannes 2021. Rough Cut Service (roughcutservice.com) collects some of the best editors in the world to provide on-line support to documentary film makers with challenging productions. He is one of the Executive Producers in Dare To Dream Asia and is part of the building an all African project Generation Africa (www.steps.co.za).

Siniša Juričić

Producer

Born in 1965 in Zagreb. He graduated in production from the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb in 2009. He founded the Nukleus Film  in 2009, and Nukleus Film Slovenia in 2012. Since 2013, he has established Jaako Dobra Produkcija (JDP) as a production company focused only on co-productions and production services, by which he became a regionally strong partner. The current focus is on the production of films by talented filmmakers from Southeast Europe in order to realize their full international potential and recognition. The films he has produced have been awarded and funded in and outside the country, with the most acclaimed awards being France 4 Visionary Award for Ilian Metev's "Last Ambulance in Sofia", which was screened in the competition selection of the 51st Cannes Film Festival Criticism Week, and the Grand Prix for the same film at the festival in Karlovy Vary. The film has toured over 70 world festivals, won 15 awards, and honors for Peter Kerekes 'Velvet Terrorists, which won the Critics' Award at Karlovy Vary in 2013 and entered the FORUM part of the Berlin Film Festival 2014 where it won the audience award. In 2012, he was awarded the annual Albert Kapovic Award by the Croatian Producers Association for his contribution to the international promotion of Croatian film. He is a member of the European Film Academy and the production networks of EAVE, ACE and Inside Pictures.

Torstein Grude

Producer

Torstein Grude (born 1971) is a producer, director and cinematographer devoted to the creation of documentary films with potential for global impact of raised awareness. The films he has been involved in have received approximately 250 awards, honourable mentions and nominations including two Oscar nominations, one Emmy win and three nominations, one Asia Pacific Screen Awards win and two nominations, one European Academy Awards win and two nominations. Grude’s titles include: The Mole – Undercover in North Korea, 'Til Kingdom Come, The Secret Lives of Pigs, Cold Case Hammarskjöld, Raghu Rai – An unframed portrait, Mogadishu Soldier, The Magnitsky Act – Behind the Scenes, Forever Pure, Digital Dissidents, Snow Monkey, Inside Fur, The Look of Silence, Love City Jalalabad, Gulabi Gang, The Act of Killing, Back to the Square, Pirate Bay AFK, Farewell Comrades!, Dance of Outlaws, Pushwagner, Russian Lessons, Discoveries of a Marionette, Yodok Stories, Belarusian Waltz and On a Tightrope.