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Turbulences in Moscow
Critic V. Matizen Expelled from Filmmakers Union
Statement of the Board of the Russian Critics Guild

Following an extraordinary meeting of the Russian "Filmmakers Union", the critics assembled in the Union (as "Critics Guild") issued a protestation note against the politics of the newly elected president of the Union, Nikita Mikhalkov.

The "Critics Guild", within the "Union of Russian Filmmakers", expresses its indignation, concerning an atmosphere of persecution of different-minded colleagues, as evident at the recent "Emergency Congress" of filmmakers on March 30-31, 2009.
    At this meeting Victor Matizen, President of the "Critics Guild", represented the position of a considerable part of the filmmakers and expressed their constructive opinion about the present and future situation in the Filmmakers Union.
    Filmmaker Nikita Mikhalkov initiated however a slanderous campaign against several respected newspapers and accused them of intentional misinformation. Victor Matizen was expelled from the Filmmakers Union.
    For the first time in the post-Soviet era a member of the Filmmakers Union has been expelled because he expressed an opposite opinion (incident which has sad Soviet precedents, see the cases of Mikhail Kalik and Alexandr Galich). This significates a violation of the basic democratic rules of a public organization.
The Board of the "Critics Guild" of Russia protests strongly against expelling any member of the Union because of his divergent opinion. We are categorically against dictatorial methods, against manipulation, slander, and the restoration of the practice of political trials in the Filmmakers Union. 

Moscw, April 4, 2009
The Board of the Russian Critics Guild

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