The most important ceremony of American cinema had its political moment on Sunday. And it must not have pleased the Kremlin. The Oscar for best documentary was awarded to Navalny, a film recounting the events related to the poisoning of the famous imprisoned Russian opponent.
Conducted by Canadian Daniel Roher, this investigation describes Navalny's political rise, the assassination attempt he barely survived, and his subsequent imprisonment. "There is someone who could not be with us tonight: Alexei Navalny, the leader of the Russian opposition, remains in solitary confinement because of what he calls - I want to make sure I quote his words correctly - Vladimir Putin's unjust war of aggression in Ukraine," the director said upon receiving the statuette.
Sentenced in March to nine years in prison
Imprisoned for more than two years, Alexei Navalny was arrested on his return to Russia after suffering this serious poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin. Last March, he was sentenced to nine years in prison on charges of "fraud" that he considers fictitious. "My husband is in prison simply because he told the truth. My husband is in prison simply because he defends democracy," the dissident's wife, Yulia, said Sunday.
Produced by HBO Max and CNN Films, Navalny premiered on January 25, 2022 at the Sundance Film Festival. The prize for best documentary was also awarded in February 2023 at the Bafta in London.
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