(UK, 86 min.)
Dir. Maxim Pozdorovkin, Mike Lerner
Programme: Special
Presentations (Canadian Premiere)
Pussy Riot: A Punk
Prayer had the audience rocking with grrrrl power at the Bloor Cinema
during the film’s first screening at Hot Docs. Applause and woohoos! erupted from the audience a
few times during the screening. The vibe in the room echoed the fallout of the
Russian feminist punk band’s arrest and the waves of support they have received
from the international community.
Pussy Riot: A Punk
Prayer doesn’t get a chance to interview the women themselves, but the
filmmakers show archival footage of their performances and rehearsals prior to
the St. Christ Church incident, which elaborate on the band’s philosophy that
Russia’s old patriarchal ways need to go. The parents of the Pussy Rioters join
in to explain their girls’ upbringing and reflect on the currents of rebellion,
activism, and artistry that fuelled their daughters before their public
protest. It seemed that the “Punk Prayer” was a long time coming, and it just
happened to be their daughters who stood up and demanded change.
As the film follows the court case and the international
sensation it caused, Pozdorovkin and Lerner give ample time to Christian
Russians who felt that the concert was an act of blasphemy and far too
offensive to ignore. The scenes with the Orthodox leaders and followers,
however, seem like inadvertent justification of Pussy Riot’s protest. Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer depicts a kind
of religious fanaticism in Russia of which I was ignorant. Likewise, the film
shows that the protest might have been necessary, but that such a sacred place
might not have been the best venue to inspire change.
It's only a story that's partway told, though, so this timely doc almost feels too premature, too ripped from the headlines to allow the impact of Pussy Riot to reach its full potential. There isn't much of an argument to take away, since the case is still ongoing. It's half a movie, really, so Pussy Riot needs the other half of the drama (and a little time to marinate in subconcious) for the band's legal battle to leave much of legacy outside of the present tense.
It's only a story that's partway told, though, so this timely doc almost feels too premature, too ripped from the headlines to allow the impact of Pussy Riot to reach its full potential. There isn't much of an argument to take away, since the case is still ongoing. It's half a movie, really, so Pussy Riot needs the other half of the drama (and a little time to marinate in subconcious) for the band's legal battle to leave much of legacy outside of the present tense.
Pussy Riot: A Punk
Prayer is a lot like punk music itself. It’s rough, inelegant, coarse, and
gritty, but it has an energy and a counter-cultural vibe that outweighs the
roughness of the craft. Punk music isn’t so much about the chords as it is
about the mood. Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer,
which ends with Peaches’ “Free
Pussy Riot” atop its credits, captures the urgency of the band’s cause and
the greater significance of their punk anthem of protest.
Rating: ★★★½ (out of ★★★★★)
Pussy Riot: A Punk
Prayer screens:
Sunday, April 28 – 4:30 pm at the Isabel Bader
Saturday, May 4 – 7:00 pm at the Cineplex Scotiabank.
UPDATE: 17/3/2014: Pussy Riot... is now playing in Ottaw at The ByTowne.
UPDATE: 17/3/2014: Pussy Riot... is now playing in Ottaw at The ByTowne.