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A Filmmaker's Diary

 
 

Marina Petrovskaia

Marina Petrovskaia, a.k.a. Cinewindow Productions, produces documentaries independently. Born in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), Russia, she holds an M.F.A. in Film and Media Arts from Temple University in Philadelphia and is currently based in Gainesville, Florida. As a director, Petrovskaia is drawn to investigative storytelling that transcends international, social, and political boundaries.

 
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Help me raise funds to cover my travel expenses to present my film A FILMMAKER'S DIARY at the Visible Evidence XXXII Conference in December 2026. It is one of the most respected international conferences devoted specifically to documentary film. The only condition for my film to be screened is my presence at the conference, which will take place in São Paulo, Brazil. Any amount will help.

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I was in the middle of another film when Russia invaded Ukraine, which prompted me to create A FILMMAKER'S DIARY. This war has irrevocably altered the landscape, transforming Russia into an ultra-conservative, authoritarian, and aggressive nation. Filming in Russia is risky, but it is essential for shedding light on the situation. My unique position allows me to film in Russia and return to the USA, where I have lived for the past 30 years. For the past six years, I have also been working on another documentary, I AM NOT A SPY, a film about the electoral process in Russia. My films about Russia are both a personal and political quest, offering a unique perspective on the conflict and the complexities of contemporary Russian society. With your support, I hope to bring this film to international audiences and continue documenting Russia through independent cinema.

Film Description

A Russian-American filmmaker embarks on a daring documentary project, creating a "film diary" as she travels between her hometown of St. Petersburg and the USA. Through nine vignettes, she explores the political climate in Russia, pushing the limits of what can be filmed while seeking to understand how many Russians truly support the war in Ukraine.

 is a creative documentary that reflects on the filmmaker’s feelings about the war in Ukraine and the political situation in Russia. The film is composed of nine vignettes, an opening and a coda filmed between June 2022 and February 2026. The filmmaker serves as the narrator, speaking directly to the audience. Eight vignettes take place in St. Petersburg, the filmmaker’s hometown, and one in Moscow. The vignettes are presented in chronological order and titled: IN THE TUNNEL, SURVEILLANCE, AN APATHETIC CONFORMIST, THE COUP, THE DRAFT, HOPE DIES LAST, THE BLIZZARD, DO NOT GIVE UP!, and THE MOMENT OF TRUTH.      

 IN THE TUNNEL was filmed in June 2022, six months after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The filmmaker rides the subway in St. Petersburg, filming people sitting opposite her. SURVEILLANCE  deals with fear in a rapidly changing political climate, where "freedom disappears like water in sand." In AN APATHETIC CONFORMIST, the filmmaker compares her personal experiences in the Soviet Union with the new reality under Putin’s rule. THE COUP, filmed on the streets of St. Petersburg during the Wagner Group mutiny led by Evgeniy Prigozhin, depicts the disconnect between everyday life and the brutal war. THE DRAFT  reflects on the pain and fear caused by the partial mobilization. HOPE DIES LAST  sheds light on Russian opposition to the war through footage filmed inside the headquarters of Boris Nadezhdin, the only anti-war candidate in the Russian presidential race. THE BLIZZARD  foreshadows the upcoming presidential election. DO NOT GIVE UP!  brings the viewer to the grave of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny one week after his burial. THE MOMENT OF TRUTH, the final vignette, takes place inside a polling station during the Russian presidential election. The election was, in effect, a referendum on the war: supporting Putin’s candidacy meant supporting the war. The filmmaker witnesses the voting in her own neighborhood while trying to answer the painful and uncomfortable question of how many Russians truly support the war in Ukraine.