The Dmitriev Affair

Synopsis

With the German Shepherd Gresha and 11-year-old Natasha in tow, Yuri combs Russian forests for potential mass graves. Something the authorities are not particularly happy about.

Screenings

Yuri Dmitriev is a so-called terrorist archaeologist. He has dedicated his career to researching and writing about those who were executed during Stalin's reign of terror in 1937. After several years of wandering through the pine forests, he also discovered a hidden pit with thousands of corpses. The grave became a memorial for all those who lost relatives during the purge.

For the next of kin, Yuri is a hero who gave them the opportunity for reconciliation, but for the authorities he is a nuisance that rips up old traumas. «The Dmitriev Affair» shows how the state tries to rewrite history and punish those who challenge them.

 

Talk before screening March 9:
Putin, an echo of Stalin?

The Russian historian Yuri Dmitriev has been searching for the mass graves of the victims of Stalin's terror since the 1990s. Until he was arrested, he identified the names of thousands of innocent people and provided answers to the victims' families. Dmitriev also identified the names of the executioners, those whom the current Putin regime hails as heroes.

The worst methods of past repression are now being used in Russia - but are Dmitriev's efforts in vain? What can Dmitriev's case teach us about Russian society?Panel:

Jessica Gorter, film director of «The Dmitriev Affair»
A member of Yuri Dmitriev’s family 
Moderator: Norwegian Helsinki Committee (tbc)

This event is in collaboration with The Norwegian Helsinki Committee.

About the director:
Jessica Gorter is a Dutch documentary filmmaker. In 2011, she made her break with the documentary «900 Days», about the blockade of Leningrad. With it, she won, among other things, best Dutch documentary at IDFA. «The Dmitriev Affair» is a thematic continuation of all the films she has made about Russia since the 90s.

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