Modern Russian Cinema as a Battleground in Russia's Information War

Alexander Rojavin, formerly of the theater world, is an intelligence, policy, media, and film analyst specializing in information war history, strategy, and tactics. He is currently the Vice President of Counter Foreign Malign Influence Strategy at Deft9 Solutions, Inc. Helen Haft is currently an Assistant District Attorney at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office (she is contributing to this volume in her personal capacity and the views expressed herin do not represent those of the DA's Office or the City of New York). Prior to joining the DA’s office she was a legal fellow at Human Rights in China, after having spent many years studying Russia, with a focus on church-state relations, religiously inspired legislation, and freedom of speech.

Note on Transliteration

Contributor Details

List of Illustrations

Introduction

Alexander Rojavin

Part I: Regulations, Funding, and Policies of the Russian Film Industry

Chapter 1. Russia’s Film Industry between State and Commerce, between National and Global

Birgit Beumers

Chapter 2. In Defense of Historical Truth: The Second Front of Russia’s Information War

Rebecca Johnston

Part II: Military Adventurism and Foreign Policy Fantasies

Chapter 3. The Holocaust and Russia’s Cinematic Go-Betweens: Cultural Diplomatic Internationalism or Covert Information Warfare?

Stephen Hutchings

Chapter 4. Exploiting the Seventh Art: Legitimizing of Contemporary Russian Private Military Adventurism

Kiril Avramov

Chapter 5. Preparing for Total War: Ukraine in Recent Donbas and Russian Cinema

Gillian Littleton and Joshua First

Part III: Law and Dissent on the Screen

Chapter 6. The Battle for Narrative Dominance: Criminal Law in Contemporary Russian Cinema

Alexander Rojavin

Chapter 7. The Russian Orthodox Church and Religious Legislation Reflected in Contemporary Russian Film

Helen Haft

Chapter 8. Angry Young Men and Modest Provincials: Reimagining the Dissident Writer in Russian Cinema

Otto Boele

Index