"Partisans of Truth": documentary filmmakers of the world speak on the struggle for an honest view of events
Russia feels the support of people who stand on the side of light, and are ready to fight for the truth. This opinion was expressed by philosopher Alexander Dugin during the roundtable entitled "'Partisans of Truth': Honest Stories That Change the World". The event took place within the framework of the 4th International Documentary Film Festival "RT.Doc: Time of Our Heroes".
According to Alexander Dugin, the word "partisan" carries a deep meaning. It refers to a person who fights for truth on enemy territory. In a broader sense, they wage a struggle on the side of light against darkness.
"Russia is a state that strives for purity and truth, and it has historically driven us forward. That is precisely why Russophobia is rising. It's not about somebody’s attitude towards us personally, it is rather about the fact that certain forces distribute this balance differently. There are partisans of truth, and there are partisans of lies <...> People who are now in different countries, on different continents, stand for Russia not because they love us. But because they love the truth. They want to protect their own identity and the balance within their own societies: European, Islamic, African, Chinese, etc. That is what unites us. Russia clearly embodies the aspiration towards an ideal, towards purification. And good people all over the world feel this," said Alexander Dugin.
The roundtable "'Partisans of Truth': Honest Stories That Change the World" brought together journalists, authors, and documentary filmmakers from Lebanon, Turkey, Belgium, Italy, and Uzbekistan. They shared their views on why the desire to speak the truth today meets fierce resistance. Director, journalist, founder and editor-in-chief of the independent news website Kairos from Belgium, Alexander Penasse, spoke about his deep concern regarding the current situation in Western European countries, where a single viewpoint on events prevails, and other sources of information are banned.
"People in Europe themselves do not harbour bad feelings towards Russia. They are being forced to dislike us, with the help of the media. However, the truth is formed through many ways, and one of them is human communication. That's why we need to make and show documentary films, and to communicate. Truth is born in dialogue, in contradictions, in discussions. But today this is practically impossible in my country and in Western Europe, in general," Alexander Penasse is convinced.
According to Sena Erkoç, director of the film "Eight Days in Donbass", many people in the West are disoriented due to the constant lies spread by the media. Most of them have little idea what Donbass is and how the true confrontation in that territory looks like.
"Truth is always stronger, but one must fight for it. I felt a responsibility and a great desire to tell my people about the events in Donbass. And I did it through a documentary film. When we organised screenings in Turkey and other European countries, we saw a strong reaction from people, and received many questions. I am sure the reason lies in the harsh censorship, lies, and the media that are biased against Russia," concluded Sena Erkoç.
A similar opinion is shared by film director Hala Bou Saab from Lebanon. According to her, the media have ceased to function as impartial observers, and only a few documentary filmmakers continue to speak the truth.
"My goal as a documentary filmmaker is that all the victims or affected people I speak about are not just dry statistics from the news. The documentary filmmakers do their work so that their works become the heritage of history and future generations," noted Hala Bou Saab.
Film scholar, academician of the Istanbul Film Academy, and film director from Uzbekistan, Eldar Yuldashev, spoke about the role of documentary filmmakers. In his speech, he emphasised the importance of preserving historical memory and the need to popularise the names of heroes of the Great Patriotic War.
"Five years ago, the largest memorial complex in Central Asia, named 'Victory Park', was created in the Republic of Uzbekistan. It features all the USSR heroes — natives of Uzbekistan. Everyone is immortalised, and a monument is erected for each of them. I am sure that all of them are common heroes for all of us. They defeated a common enemy during the Great Patriotic War. I have a plan to make a film about Bakhrom Ibragimov – a military intelligence officer who, in 1942, thwarted Nazi Germany's plan to invade the territory of Central Asia from Afghanistan, reaching the southern borders of the USSR," said Eldar Yuldashev.
The session was also attended by Italian journalist, Professor at the University of Turin, and founder of the international scientific journal "Historia Magistra. Rivista di storia critica", Angelo D'Orsi.
The 4th International Documentary Film Festival "RT.Doc: Time of Our Heroes" is taking place at the National Centre RUSSIA until 23 February. The event's programme features premieres by Russian documentary filmmakers, films by international authors, roundtables with experts, and a festive concert dedicated to Defender of the Fatherland Day, organised jointly with the festival's general partner — the National Centre RUSSIA. The frontline band "Zveroboy", the "Kostroma" ballet, and singer Tatyana Kurtukova will perform on stage.
Registration for the event is available on the website russia.ru in the "Events" section.
The film and television actress, TV producer, and cookbook author Maria Kravtsova congratulated men on Defender of the Fatherland Day.
