How Serebrennikov became Abramovich’s lawyer – “srach” of the Russian intelligentsia under Ukrainian sauce

The talk of the town called “good Russians” has received a new impetus for elegant foul language among the creative intelligentsia. Moreover, it “burnt” on both sides at once – both in Russia and in Ukraine. The place of the fire is still the same – Facebook.

“Don’t hit Roma – he’s good”

The whole intellectual army was excited by the speech of Kirill Serebrennikov at the Cannes Film Festival, where he presented his film “Tchaikovsky’s Wife”. The director called for the lifting of sanctions against billionaire Roman Abramovich, which were applied after Russia’s attack on Ukraine.

Roman Abramovich has helped many independent Russian films. He did a lot for independent Russian art. He did a lot for contemporary art in general. He did a lot for me, personally supporting me in very difficult times …

At the same time, not a word about Ukraine, except for the cry “No to war!” in Russian, so that no one in the hall would understand anything. And what kind of war Serebrennikov said – he did not explain.

Well, a draft flew through the sawmill.

Russian intellectuals crossed … spatulas

Here is one of the brightest posts by Russian woman Yulia Muchnik from the TV / film crowd, who intelligently “stuffed” Serebrennikov, recalling to him the “sins of youth” (connection with Prilepin and Surkov):

This is one of dozens, if not hundreds of posts that have scattered like an avalanche on Facebook. And here the comments on which you can write a dissertation are no less interesting. On the topic: “Reflection of the Russian intelligentsia of the 21st century on their own helplessness and cowardice”.

As usual, everyone was divided into two camps:

1. Ugh on Serebrennikov, vile coward (post above).
2. Understand and forgive (comments below):

Ukrainian intellectuals: “His Mariupol is Abramovich”

Our creative intelligentsia, of course, have their own “narratives” and arguments on the situation with Serebrennikov.

For example, when the well-known Ukrainian journalist Leonid Shvets reposted the same speech by Yulia Muchnik, there were no defenders of “good Russians” in the comments.

Our intellectuals, when the topic in one way or another concerns the war in Ukraine, do not particularly reflect, but hit backhand. They hit Serebrennikov too:

Strangle the “leviathan” in yourself

Taking this opportunity, I’ll be smarter too, although I’m far from the intelligentsia and for a long time.

Why was Serebrennikov blown away?

Speaking in metaphors of another Russian director Zvyagintsev: Serebrennikov cannot in any way stifle the “leviathan” in himself, which often spoils talented creators. BUT the passion of this inner monster is money and a comfortable life.

The justification of the bearers of “leviathans” has long been invented for themselves and blindly believe in it – they say, I’m not asking for myself, but for the sake of creativity. In the case of Abramovich – for the cinema …

Well, of course threshold of cowardice. In Russia, over the past 20 years, it has been trampled tightly into the floor. There are no barriers to fear. It makes even the most talented and free-spirited tremble. And those who do not tremble are forced to flee, go to jail or “deflate”.

Farewell, Cyril. You WAS a talented director. And he made his choice.

PS

It was not in vain that I remembered another Russian director Andrei Zvyagintsev in the context of Serebrennikov. For me personally, before the war, they were approximately on the same shelf of film perception – unconditional talents. But Zvyagintsev was not blown away.

Now the director of “Leviathan” is undergoing rehabilitation after a month and a half artificial coma caused by the coronavirus. So he was silent for a long time. And a week ago, Zvyagintsev gave an interview to Anton Dolin, in which he heard a phrase about Russian creators and the war in Ukraine, and it says a lot:

I saw one interview in Russia taken from one artist… And for 40 minutes he did his best to avoid a direct answer to the question, referring to the fact that he does not understand anything in geopolitics.
Why do you need to understand something in politics, when Mariupol is just bombed to the ground?! You, young man, who can go to YouTube and watch this picture, you will simply believe every frame, every word.
These multi-storey buildings are not inhabited by these, like them, “Nazis”. It’s just an incredible lie to launch rockets and sow bombs on residential areas and call it denazification …