Metropolitan Feofan: ''I am not going to watch Matilda, but the bans are not necessary''

Emotions around Matilda

The beginning of distribution of the film by Alexey Uchitel Matilda is scheduled on 25 October, but the emotions around the film have already strained to the limit, giving rise to a few incidents connected with cinemas and distributors, as well as the verbal sparring of Deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Natalia Poklonskaya and Minister of Culture of Russia Vladimir Medinsky.

The latter stood up for the film quite explicitly. ''I don't know with what considerations Ms Polonskaya is guided by undertaking and supporting this hubbub. Maybe from a pure heart. Especially I am not ready to unravel the motivations of different-sized ''activists''-mongers arrogantly calling themselves ''Orthodox'', the official website of the agency quoted the words by Medinsky.

''Any debate about the film is pointless. Doubly absurd is the position of people who ''have not seen the film but angrily condemn'' — and even flaunt it. Personally I have seen the film. I will not discuss its content – it is just incorrect while the audience have not seen it yet. But I testify that there is nothing offensive to the memory of Nicholas II or the history of the Russian monarchy,'' the minister said.

Besides, Medinsky appealed to the Interior Ministry with a request to provide the order during the film screening. The law enforcement agency promised to strengthen security measures. Nevertheless, the threat has already done its job, and some of the networks of film distribution declined Matilda.

Medinsky stood up for the filmis quite unambiguously. Photo medinskiy.ru

Kazan cinemas will not refuse the screening but will increase security measures

Tatarstan Minister of Culture Ayrat Sibagatullin informed the local media that he was going to watch the film to form his own opinion about it.

In Kazan, the picture can be seen in several cinemas. The management of the cinema Rodina Elena Chepurnyh told Realnoe Vremya that they would not remove Matilda, but in connection with the recent events they are planning to increase the number of employees of a private security company providing security in the cinema. In the normal mode it is six people, during the rental of the film there will be eight guards.

But Tatarkino will defininitely not screen Matilda, in particular, the film will not be shown in the cinema Mir, which is a structural division of this budget company. As explained in the press service of Tatarkino, the organization lacked the funds to buy the rights to the film.

• 

  Feofan Metropolitan of Kazan and Tatarstan

  I can't judge the film Matilda because I have not watched it. And I am not going to. But I agree with the considered point view of Metropolitan Illarion, who said that discussion can be, but the bans are not needed. Arson, threats — it is not our method. I believe that this attitude is correct. Extremism – why all this? It shouldn't be, and nothing should be incited.

• 

  Ilshat Rakhimbay Film director

  In fact, like in the case of the latest films by Zvyagintsev, it can be a very smart marketing move. All this increasing censorship and bans probably give a spring effect – on the one hand the state and on the other — creator. Anyway, it will affect art of people and culture. I guess now he things will become prohibited that which a year ago were not banned, and the interest of people, as we know, increases due to bans. If Matilda was not banned, around it they would not have been such fuss.

  I think the events surrounding the film in some sense are connected with the psychology of our people. Although the people assert that they are individual, the experience shows that the Russian people lends itself well to mass hypnosis, especially from the media.

  I have watched the trailer of the film, and frankly speaking, I was very thrilled. So I'm going to watch it. The work by Alexey Uchitel doesn't make people indifferent, he makes not ''one day'' things that you watched and immediately forgot. He wants to influence culture, consciousness, to build a dialogue. This is most importantly.