Moscow threatens to ban anti-Russian films from cinemas

Russian culture committee says that it is considering banning movies that show the country and its citizens in a ‘primitive and silly way’

Moscow is making new censorship threats, with members of the Cultural Committee saying that they are considering banning foreign films that show the country and its citizens in a ‘primitive and silly way.’

According to an article published by the Hollywood Reporter, several Russian politicians want to enact a law that prevents films which they feel demonise Russians from being shown in cinemas.

Batu Khasikov, a member of the culture committee at Russia’s Federation Council, said that “movies where everything related to Russia is overtly demonised or shown in a primitive and silly way should be banned from theatrical distribution.” He added that such films would include those in which, “at the screenwriter’s and director’s whim, Russians are portrayed as a threat to humanity.”

The move is relatively risk-free for Russia, because there is little chance of US retaliation as Russian films are not very popular in North America. In the meantime, Moscow has published a list of films that it considers are safe for patriotic citizens to view.

This list of “appropriate films” includes Cabaret, The Last Emperor and Titanic, as well as Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now.

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