Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer (2013) – Documentary Review

Directors: Mike Lerner and Maxim Pozdorovkin
Starring: Mariya Alyokhina, Yekaterina Samutsevich, and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova
Runtime: 88 min
Rating: NR

Not every documentary filmmaker feels the need to employ elaborate strategies or techniques when creating their works. Some directors, such as Mike Lerner and Maxim Pozdorovkin, choose instead to be content with simplicity and allow the power of their story to speak for itself. Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer (2013) is an enlightening documentary film that creates interest due to the tale that it relates and the women that it highlights, as opposed to any filmic devices. Although some viewers may be underwhelmed, others will leave a little more educated and possibly significantly more incensed than when they arrived.

Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer tells the now infamous story of three young Russian women – Nadia, Masha, and Katia – who spent time in prison after their punk protest performance in a Russian Orthodox church. The female members of the band Pussy Riot have become known for their bright balaclavas, unconventional performance locations, and angry song lyrics, but this film reveals their socio political motivations as well. Feminism is not widely accepted in Russia, and the film documents not only the arrest of these women, but also the unjust trial with which they were faced and a part of which the entire world became involved.

Lerner and Pozdorovkin tell this story in a straightforward and uncomplicated manner. The film consists mainly of news and courtroom footage, although interviews with the family members of the girls provide an interesting look into their lives both past and present. It was a welcome surprise to hear of the general support that these older individuals afforded their daughters, and the decision to focus on the parents as opposed to husbands was clearly deliberate. A brief examination of the childhood of each girl was also appreciated, although these segments arrived rather late in the film, and could have worked well earlier to allow the audience to build a stronger connection with these women.

It cannot be denied that Nadia, Masha, and Katia are exceptionally strong individuals who did not deserve the persecution and imprisonment that they received, especially after listening to their reasoning and motivations. However, I do not feel as if they were portrayed as the most sympathetic of heroines, although this fact is not necessarily a flaw of the film. This documentary is careful to present both sides of the story, revealing the importance of religion to post communist Russia, and the upsetting effect a performance such as Pussy Riot’s could have. Although it was easy to sympathise with these confident young women who desired nothing more than basic equality and freedom, the elderly woman who simply desires the freedom to practice her fought-for religion also evokes understanding. It is commendable that Lerner and Pozdorovkin were able to present the facts of this story in a way that does not tell one what to think, but rather, allows an audience to arrive at their own conclusions.

Ultimately, Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer explores a well-known story in a way that reveals the unknown thoughts and motivations of the individuals involved. Although there are segments that promote laughter in their ridiculousness, they actually become rather frightening when one considers their implications. This film may not use any fancy filmic techniques, but it does present its story in an efficient and highly educational manner. It should also be applauded for presenting both sides of a divisive story and for integrating an appropriate amount of context and history. Ultimately, it is up to the audience to decide what to make of the actions of Pussy Riot. Whatever one decides, the film is an undeniably sobering and thought provoking experience.