Lena Klimova: Attempt to Ruin "Children 404" Premiere Failed
Police interrogation, video footage, and shouts "Sodom, get out of Russia!" interrupted the premiere of the film "Children 404" in Moscow's "Artplay" Center. The raid was performed by the police officers with support by Orthodox radicals, who initiated the provocation.
The police began to check IDs of people who were present at the scene saying that they had received some information regarding the presence of minors at the premiere which would be breaching the "Mizulina Law". They presumed that the film might have contained the homopropaganda (fine up to US$ 27 777, RUR 1 mln). Eyewitnesses added that the police "had talks" with those who could not present their IDs.
Lena Klimova, a journalist, the founder of the project "Children 404" believes that Orthodox radicals failed to ruin the premiere of the film. "I've just came back from the premiere of "Children 404"... The film is wonderful! The news are saying that the premiere had been ruined. My friends, I tell you that no one had ruined it, do not believe the mass media. People who came to ruin the show left empty-handed. We watched the film till its end and held a discussion which is going to be published on "Colta.Ru". The film is going to be uploaded to Youtube for free access. We are thanking everyone who came!", she wrote on her wall @Vkontakte (page in Russian >>).
For reference: the premiere of the film "Children 404" held in the framework of the joint project of Colta.Ru and "Cinema Verite" Foundation named after Heinrich Bell.
The film was interrupted on its 40th minute. Around 9 pm the exits of the cinema hall were blocked by elderly women who held icons and 10 men-"order watchdogs". A bit later arrived police units with Kalashnikovs. More than 200 visitors were being kept inside as hostages. The police agents began to write down visitors' IDs. The situation calmed down only at 11 pm when Orthodoxies had left the scene. The newspaper "Citiboom" (link in Russian >>) says that the discussion of the film went on and everyone was free to leave it just by saying his or her age and without presenting an ID.
English translation presented by Yerdna Bananes
Lena Klimova, a journalist, the founder of the project "Children 404" believes that Orthodox radicals failed to ruin the premiere of the film. "I've just came back from the premiere of "Children 404"... The film is wonderful! The news are saying that the premiere had been ruined. My friends, I tell you that no one had ruined it, do not believe the mass media. People who came to ruin the show left empty-handed. We watched the film till its end and held a discussion which is going to be published on "Colta.Ru". The film is going to be uploaded to Youtube for free access. We are thanking everyone who came!", she wrote on her wall @Vkontakte (page in Russian >>).
For reference: the premiere of the film "Children 404" held in the framework of the joint project of Colta.Ru and "Cinema Verite" Foundation named after Heinrich Bell.
The film was interrupted on its 40th minute. Around 9 pm the exits of the cinema hall were blocked by elderly women who held icons and 10 men-"order watchdogs". A bit later arrived police units with Kalashnikovs. More than 200 visitors were being kept inside as hostages. The police agents began to write down visitors' IDs. The situation calmed down only at 11 pm when Orthodoxies had left the scene. The newspaper "Citiboom" (link in Russian >>) says that the discussion of the film went on and everyone was free to leave it just by saying his or her age and without presenting an ID.
English translation presented by Yerdna Bananes
