Russian cinemas reportedly screen international films illegally
Russian cinemas are allegedly screening international films without proper licensing, including anticipated releases like “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” according to statements from industry insiders. Cinema owners are said to illegally obtain digital cinema packages through third-party distributors and coordinate release dates among themselves, reports BritPanorama.
Viewers purchase tickets under the guise of watching short films, though they end up seeing major productions instead. “I’ll be watching ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day,’ or ‘Batman,’” said industry commentator Aliev regarding the misleading advertising practices.
Despite several requests, Sony Pictures has not provided a comment on this issue. Authorities, including Russia’s Ministry of Culture, have been criticized for inaction concerning these unauthorized screenings. Elena Drapeko, the deputy chair of the culture committee in the Duma, has recently urged law enforcement to take steps against this “illegal business activity.”
Interestingly, 18 seconds of the song “Monopoly” by the Russian artist Monetochka appears to have been omitted from the copies of the film shown domestically. Monetochka, a vocal critic of the war in Ukraine, was designated a “foreign agent” by Russian authorities in 2022 and subsequently fled to Lithuania. She expressed her disappointment on social media, noting that she “hadn’t expected anything else,” but found the song’s removal “painful and sad.”
Meanwhile, fans in Spider-Man costumes have been posting videos on social media, with the song playing in the background, despite its alleged removal from the film. The film’s release faced additional turmoil when its August 6 debut was postponed by three weeks due to the competing release of “The Last Warrior: Kolobok,” which provoked public anger.
This delay led to significant online backlash, with some individuals reportedly sending threats to Anton Maslov, the director of “The Last Warrior: Kolobok.” This situation highlights a symbolic struggle between a major government-sponsored release and a sought-after foreign film, as Aliev pointed out, describing the audience’s frustration over their perceived lack of choice.
Ordinary moviegoers are feeling the impact of these delays. Maria, a mixed-media artist from St. Petersburg, lamented the restriction stating that waiting for the new “Spider-Man” film felt like being at a party where “everyone is eating cake” while she is forced to “eat a bowl of crackers” instead.
