Perm Film on Abuse Victim Wins Festival Award
A documentary by the head of the press service for the Perm Krai Federal Penitentiary Service (GUFSIN) was recognized as the best in the Russian program at an international festival — it was voted for by the audience jury commission. The film tells the story of Kristina Kuleshova, who served 10 years for killing her tyrant husband. Here is the story of the film and the difficult fate of its heroine.
From November 28 to December 7, Krasnoyarsk hosted the international documentary film festival SiberiaDoc. This year, 504 applications from 55 countries were submitted — from France to Mexico. Only 37 films from 15 countries were selected. The competition featured International and Russian programs. The latter included only domestic films.
The film by Perm director Nina Izotova, head of the press service for the Perm Krai GUFSIN, «Nechuzhie» (18+), became the winner in the Russian program based on audience jury voting. This is not a viewers« choice award: the festival had a separate, specially invited commission.
As Nina Izotova told 59.RU, her film «Nechuzhie» is the story of former convict Kristina Kuleshova. In the film, Kristina herself recounts how she endured long-term domestic violence from her husband.
«But the last incident was simply a nightmare. Her husband hung her from the ceiling with a belt and stubbed cigarettes out on her,» the director told 59.RU. «The torture lasted seven hours. He stubbed six cigarettes on her, pierced her body and head with scissors and needles, then took her down from the belt. When she fell to the floor, he literally trampled her into the ground. She had broken ribs, and all her arms and legs were covered in terrible bruises.»
After that, Kristina«s husband went to the kitchen for a knife. At the last moment, the woman managed to grab it and killed the tyrant with it.
The court recognized that the murder was unintentional and committed in a state of affect, so it was considered self-defense. But because Kristina killed her husband with particular cruelty, she was given a long sentence — 11 years. Kristina served almost 10 years and was released from the colony on parole.
«In the film, Kristina, after her release, seeks a new foundation in life. Work, housing, overcoming societal condemnation — these steps become part of her path to new freedom,» Nina Izotova told 59.RU. «For every released person, support is crucial. Society reacts quite aggressively to them; finding employment is nearly impossible, housing is also hard to secure, and the adaptation process itself is very difficult; not everyone can cope.»
Nina Izotova worked on the film for about three years. Part of the filming took place in the colony where Kristina was imprisoned. Throughout this time, the director observed how her heroine changed and returned to normal life. Kristina was helped at the Perm center «Nechuzhie», founded by activist Anna Kargapoltseva. Anna«s wards are women who served time in colonies for killing tyrants.
Kristina lived at the «Nechuzhie» center for six months. Then she was able to rent an apartment in the north of the region — in Krasnovishersk. The woman found permanent work and is employed at a car wash. She has now been living in Krasnokamsk for two years.
«She deliberately wanted to move to a small town, away from the hustle and bustle,» says Nina Izotova. «And recently she fulfilled her dream: she bought a small private house in Krasnovishersk with a mortgage. Now she is renovating it. And she also got a dog named Jessica.»
Nina Izotova«s film »Nechuzhie« will be shown for the first time in Perm on December 18 at the »Kristall-Tsentr« center.
Earlier we reported that Yaroslav Mogilnikov from Lysva starred in the lead role in a film about drifting.
