The Magnitsky Act – Behind the Scenes is a 2016 documentary directed by Andrei Nekrasov, concerning the 2009 death in a Moscow prison cell, after 11 months in police custody, of 37-year-old Russian tax accountant Sergei Magnitsky.[3] In 2007, Magnitsky was hired by American-born British financier Bill Browder to investigate the government's seizure of three of Browder's Russian subsidiaries.[4] Discovering evidence of embezzlement, Magnitsky implicated two senior police officers in a tax rebate scam that used shell corporations[5] plundered from Browder's holdings to defraud the Russian treasury of $230 million.[6] Subordinates of those officials then arrested Magnitsky and charged him with the very crime he had exposed.[7]
However, after initially presenting the widely accepted story about murdering of Magnitsky in prison by guards on the orders from Russian state officials,[4][5][6] the movie suggested a falsified[8] version of the event that, as The Guardian relates, "Magnitsky was not beaten while in police custody, and that he did not make any specific allegations against individuals in his testimony to Russian authorities."[6] By suggesting that Magnitsky was, as paraphrased by The New York Times, "an accomplice rather than a victim,"[4] the documentary has provoked international controversy.[4][6][9]
The film takes its title from the Magnitsky Act, a bipartisan bill passed by the U.S. Congress and signed by President Barack Obama in 2012, designed to punish Russian officials allegedly responsible for Magnitsky's death.[10]
The film's premiere was set for the European Parliament in Brussels on April 27, 2016. The event was organized by Finnish Green Party politician and MEPHeidi Hautala. In 2010, Hautala introduced her then-boyfriend Andrei Nekrasov to Bill Browder.[11] Now Nekrasov had made a film featuring extensive interview footage of Browder and challenging his single-handed control of the Magnitsky narrative.
At the eleventh hour, the premiere was canceled. The New York Times said threats of libel suits from Bill Browder accusing Nekrasov of defaming both him and Magnitsky had accompanied the cancellation.[4] Nekrasov blamed two last-minute interventions. The first was from MEP Marieluise Beck, unhappy because Nekrasov refused to remove her interview segment from his film. The second objection, which Nekrasov considered decisive, came from the film's principal sponsor, German public television broadcaster ZDF.[12] Along with its French public television subsidiary Arte, ZDF also shelved the film a few days before its scheduled telecast.[9]
The Magnitsky Act – Behind the Scenes premiered in Oslo, Norway in June 2016.[13]
Reception
In June 2016, The New York Times reported that the film was "generating a furor."[4] On June 13, it was shown by invitation only[6] at the Newseum, a private museum in Washington, D.C. dedicated to the news industry.[4]The Washington Post called it part of "a campaign to discredit Browder and the Magnitsky Act."[5] Lawyers for Browder and Sergei Magnitsky's mother demanded that the screening be canceled.[4]The New York Times said showing it at the Newseum, which "sits on Pennsylvania Avenue in the shadow of the Capitol," was "especially controversial because it could attract lawmakers or their aides."[4] Besides congressional staffers, invitees included representatives from the United States Department of State and the White House National Security Council."[6] In the letter sent to the European Parliament relatives of Magnitsky wrote:[8]
Each part of the movie, each passage where the author tries to lie and besmirch Sergei Magnitsky, or to deride him can be easily refuted by dozens of original documents (...) This movie is made in the interests of those who are scared of the truth uncovered by Sergei Magnitsky.
— Letter from the Magnitsky Family sent to the European Parliament, 26 April 2016
Bill Browder published a list of seven key claims presented in the movie along with evidence proving they are false, for example that Magnitsky was not beaten in the custody and that he did not report the tax fraud against Hermitage to the police.[8]
When management refused to cancel the event, The Nation commented that "the Newseum deserves great credit for sticking to its principles," adding that "the film provides a valuable service by asking how it is that American (and European) officials bought Browder's story without doing even the slightest due diligence. The American and European legislators who took Browder's version of events on faith now look credulous, at best."[9]
The Washington Post, however, commented in an editorial: "The film is a piece of agitprop that mixes fact and fiction to blame Magnitsky for the fraud and absolve Russians of blame for his death."[5] According to The Post, "Mr. Nekrasov declares, 'Magnitsky wasn't a whistleblower. Magnitsky did not accuse any police officers. Magnitsky did not even investigate anything.' He adds, 'The young man died in a Russian prison. I do not believe it was murder. It was a case of negligence and the Russian system is to blame in many ways, but it wasn't murder; he wasn't murdered by the Russian state as Mr. Browder claims.' This is just what President Vladimir Putin and his honchos want the West to hear."[5]
The Post predicted, "The film won't grab a wide audience but it offers yet another example of the Kremlin's increasingly sophisticated efforts to spread its illiberal values and mind-set abroad. In the European Parliament and on French and German television networks, showings were put off recently after questions were raised about the accuracy of the film, including by Magnitsky's family. We don't worry that Mr. Nekrasov's film was screened here, in an open society. But it is important that such slick spin be fully exposed for its twisted story and sly deceptions."[5]
^ abcCarden, James (June 20, 2016). "By Screening 'The Magnitsky Act,' the Newseum Stood Up for the First Amendment". The Nation. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
^"Obama Signs Magnitsky Bill". The Moscow Times. December 17, 2012. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
^Orlova, Karina (June 16, 2016). "Russia's Plot to Smear Magnitsky". The American Interest. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
^Palmeri, Tara (April 27, 2016). "MEPs dragged into Russia film row". Politico. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
^Nekrasov, Andrei (November 27, 2017). . livejournal.com. LiveJournal. Archived from the original on August 4, 2018. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
^Apuzzo, Matt; Becker, Jo; Goldman, Adam; Haberman, Maggie (July 11, 2017). "Trump Jr. Was Told in Email of Russian Effort to Aid Campaign". The New York Times. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
^Zavadski, Katie (July 25, 2017). "How an Anti-Putin Filmmaker Became a Kremlin Stooge". The Daily Beast. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
External links
The Magnitsky Act – Behind the Scenes free trailers and 48-hour rental full-length streaming video.
magnitsky, behind, scenes, 2016, documentary, directed, andrei, nekrasov, concerning, 2009, death, moscow, prison, cell, after, months, police, custody, year, russian, accountant, sergei, magnitsky, 2007, magnitsky, hired, american, born, british, financier, b. The Magnitsky Act Behind the Scenes is a 2016 documentary directed by Andrei Nekrasov concerning the 2009 death in a Moscow prison cell after 11 months in police custody of 37 year old Russian tax accountant Sergei Magnitsky 3 In 2007 Magnitsky was hired by American born British financier Bill Browder to investigate the government s seizure of three of Browder s Russian subsidiaries 4 Discovering evidence of embezzlement Magnitsky implicated two senior police officers in a tax rebate scam that used shell corporations 5 plundered from Browder s holdings to defraud the Russian treasury of 230 million 6 Subordinates of those officials then arrested Magnitsky and charged him with the very crime he had exposed 7 The Magnitsky Act Behind the ScenesDirected byAndrei NekrasovWritten byAndrei Nekrasov Torstein GrudeProduced byTorstein Grude Pertti Veijaleinen Venla Hellstedt Peter Engel 1 StarringAndrei Nekrasov Bill BrowderCinematographyTore Vollan Torstein Grude Joona PetterssonEdited byPhilipp GromovMusic byKarsten FundalProductioncompanyPiraya Film ASDistributed byNorwegian Film InstituteRelease datesJune 13 2016 2016 06 13 United States June 25 2016 2016 06 25 Norway June 28 2016 2016 06 28 Moscow International Film Festival Running time125 minutes 2018 cut from 152 minutes 2016 2 CountryNorwayLanguagesEnglish RussianBudget8 9MM krHowever after initially presenting the widely accepted story about murdering of Magnitsky in prison by guards on the orders from Russian state officials 4 5 6 the movie suggested a falsified 8 version of the event that as The Guardian relates Magnitsky was not beaten while in police custody and that he did not make any specific allegations against individuals in his testimony to Russian authorities 6 By suggesting that Magnitsky was as paraphrased by The New York Times an accomplice rather than a victim 4 the documentary has provoked international controversy 4 6 9 The film takes its title from the Magnitsky Act a bipartisan bill passed by the U S Congress and signed by President Barack Obama in 2012 designed to punish Russian officials allegedly responsible for Magnitsky s death 10 Contents 1 Cast 2 Production 3 Release 4 Reception 5 Awards 6 Other festivals 7 Notes 8 References 9 External linksCast EditAndrei Nekrasov as himself Bill Browder as himself Marieluise Beck as herself Maria Sannikova Franck as herself Andreas Gross as himself Pavel Karpov as himself Pavel Lapshov as himself Andrey Pavlov as himself Eduard Khayretdinov as himself Nataliya Magnitskaya as herself Anna Avramenko as herself Tore Vollan as himself Evgeniy Lunchenko as Magnitsky Gennadiy Popenko as Karpov Oleksandr Berezhok as Kuznetsov as Alexander Berezhok Yekaterina Bashkina as Magnitsky s wife Ivan Doan as JamisonProduction EditThe film is a co production of German public television broadcaster ZDF Wingman Media ApS and Illume OY 2 with support from the Norwegian Film Institute Nordisk Film amp TV Fond Finnish Film Foundation Fritt Ord Foundation Hinterland AS and Stiftelsen Matriark Foundation Notes 1 The Prosecutor General of Russia and the Interior Ministry of Russia did not respond to the filmmaker s requests to share materials relevant to the investigation Notes 2 Release EditThe film s premiere was set for the European Parliament in Brussels on April 27 2016 The event was organized by Finnish Green Party politician and MEP Heidi Hautala In 2010 Hautala introduced her then boyfriend Andrei Nekrasov to Bill Browder 11 Now Nekrasov had made a film featuring extensive interview footage of Browder and challenging his single handed control of the Magnitsky narrative At the eleventh hour the premiere was canceled The New York Times said threats of libel suits from Bill Browder accusing Nekrasov of defaming both him and Magnitsky had accompanied the cancellation 4 Nekrasov blamed two last minute interventions The first was from MEP Marieluise Beck unhappy because Nekrasov refused to remove her interview segment from his film The second objection which Nekrasov considered decisive came from the film s principal sponsor German public television broadcaster ZDF 12 Along with its French public television subsidiary Arte ZDF also shelved the film a few days before its scheduled telecast 9 The Magnitsky Act Behind the Scenes premiered in Oslo Norway in June 2016 13 Reception EditIn June 2016 The New York Times reported that the film was generating a furor 4 On June 13 it was shown by invitation only 6 at the Newseum a private museum in Washington D C dedicated to the news industry 4 The Washington Post called it part of a campaign to discredit Browder and the Magnitsky Act 5 Lawyers for Browder and Sergei Magnitsky s mother demanded that the screening be canceled 4 The New York Times said showing it at the Newseum which sits on Pennsylvania Avenue in the shadow of the Capitol was especially controversial because it could attract lawmakers or their aides 4 Besides congressional staffers invitees included representatives from the United States Department of State and the White House National Security Council 6 In the letter sent to the European Parliament relatives of Magnitsky wrote 8 Each part of the movie each passage where the author tries to lie and besmirch Sergei Magnitsky or to deride him can be easily refuted by dozens of original documents This movie is made in the interests of those who are scared of the truth uncovered by Sergei Magnitsky Letter from the Magnitsky Family sent to the European Parliament 26 April 2016 Bill Browder published a list of seven key claims presented in the movie along with evidence proving they are false for example that Magnitsky was not beaten in the custody and that he did not report the tax fraud against Hermitage to the police 8 The Daily Beast reported that Natalia Veselnitskaya the Russian lawyer who met with Donald Trump Jr four days earlier to criticize the Magnitsky Act 14 paid for and attended the Newseum screening to which Congressman Dana Rohrabacher a senior member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs was invited to try to recruit him to the Russian cause 15 When management refused to cancel the event The Nation commented that the Newseum deserves great credit for sticking to its principles adding that the film provides a valuable service by asking how it is that American and European officials bought Browder s story without doing even the slightest due diligence The American and European legislators who took Browder s version of events on faith now look credulous at best 9 The Washington Post however commented in an editorial The film is a piece of agitprop that mixes fact and fiction to blame Magnitsky for the fraud and absolve Russians of blame for his death 5 According to The Post Mr Nekrasov declares Magnitsky wasn t a whistleblower Magnitsky did not accuse any police officers Magnitsky did not even investigate anything He adds The young man died in a Russian prison I do not believe it was murder It was a case of negligence and the Russian system is to blame in many ways but it wasn t murder he wasn t murdered by the Russian state as Mr Browder claims This is just what President Vladimir Putin and his honchos want the West to hear 5 The Post predicted The film won t grab a wide audience but it offers yet another example of the Kremlin s increasingly sophisticated efforts to spread its illiberal values and mind set abroad In the European Parliament and on French and German television networks showings were put off recently after questions were raised about the accuracy of the film including by Magnitsky s family We don t worry that Mr Nekrasov s film was screened here in an open society But it is important that such slick spin be fully exposed for its twisted story and sly deceptions 5 Awards EditConferred by Year Award 1 Moscow International Film Festival 2016 Special CommendationPrix Europa Berlin 2016 Special CommendationSignes de Nuit Paris 2017 Night Award and Main Award Student JuryFestival Internacional Signos de la Noche Tucuman Argentina 2018 Night Award16th International Festival Signs of the Night Bangkok Thailand 2018 The Signs AwardOther festivals EditNordisk Panorama Malmo 2016 Bergen International Film Festival 2016 Kapittel Film Stavanger 2016 Helsinki International Film Festival 2016 Eurodok Oslo 2017 Tampere Film Festival 2017 Nordic Docs Fredrikstad 2017 The Norwegian Short Film Festival Grimstad 2017 1 Notes Edit Supporting organizations are listed on the closing credits and film poster Unresponsive Russian authorities are listed on the closing credits References Edit a b c Magnitsky Act Behind the Scenes The kudosfamily com Kudos Family Distribution Retrieved August 1 2018 a b The Magnitsky Act Behind the Scenes nfi no Norwegian Film Institute Retrieved August 8 2018 Pan Philip P November 18 2009 Russian lawyer who alleged police corruption dies in prison The Washington Post Retrieved August 1 2018 a b c d e f g h i Landler Mark June 9 2016 Film About Russian Lawyer s Death Creates an Uproar The New York Times Retrieved August 1 2018 a b c d e f Editorial Board June 19 2016 Russian agitprop lands in Washington The Washington Post Retrieved August 1 2018 a b c d e f Eckel Mike June 10 2016 Controversial film on Sergei Magnitsky s death set for US screening The Guardian Retrieved August 1 2018 Driscoll Margarette November 14 2010 Dying in agony his reward for solving a 230 million fraud The Sunday Times Retrieved August 1 2018 a b c Lies of Nekrasov Piraya anti Magnitsky Documentary PDF a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link a b c Carden James June 20 2016 By Screening The Magnitsky Act the Newseum Stood Up for the First Amendment The Nation Retrieved August 1 2018 Obama Signs Magnitsky Bill The Moscow Times December 17 2012 Retrieved August 1 2018 Orlova Karina June 16 2016 Russia s Plot to Smear Magnitsky The American Interest Retrieved August 4 2018 Palmeri Tara April 27 2016 MEPs dragged into Russia film row Politico Retrieved August 4 2018 Nekrasov Andrei November 27 2017 Andrei Nekrasov s statement for the Norwegian Helsinki Committee Magnitsky Hearing Andrei Nekrasov s blog livejournal com LiveJournal Archived from the original on August 4 2018 Retrieved August 4 2018 Apuzzo Matt Becker Jo Goldman Adam Haberman Maggie July 11 2017 Trump Jr Was Told in Email of Russian Effort to Aid Campaign The New York Times Retrieved July 12 2017 Zavadski Katie July 25 2017 How an Anti Putin Filmmaker Became a Kremlin Stooge The Daily Beast Retrieved August 1 2018 External links EditThe Magnitsky Act Behind the Scenes free trailers and 48 hour rental full length streaming video The Magnitsky Act Behind the Scenes at IMDb Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Magnitsky Act Behind the Scenes amp oldid 1113748425, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
