THE NEW GREATNESS CASE celebrated it's European Premiere at Sheffield Doc Fest in June 2022.
Anya Pavlikova was an ordinary teenager who dreamed of making life in Russia better. In March 2018 she was arrested and incarcerated on charges of forming an extremist group with the aim to violently overthrow the government.
During three following years her mother Julia desperately struggles to prove her daughter’s innocence. Fighting for justice and learning the real state of affairs step-by-step, Julia has been transformed from an apolitical citizen into a passionate human rights activist.
The Case: It all began when Anya joined an internet forum, where young people chatted about music, ecology and current affairs. Many were critical of Putin’s politics. One of the members of the chat, calling himself Ruslan D, was particularly outspoken in criticizing Putin’s regime.
Ruslan suggested that they should meet in person. A dozen members, including Anya, agreed. Several times they gathered at McDonalds, but then Ruslan D rented a small office for their meetings. It was later revealed that he had outfitted the office with hidden cameras. He insisted that they become a “proper political movement” and proposed a pathetic title for their group: "The New Greatness”.
Ruslan D shaped the group to fit the Russian State’s description of an “extremist organization” as defined by the legislation. He created leaflets and also taught individuals in the group how to make Molotov cocktails, secretly filming them all the while. Then, he turned the “incriminating evidence” over to the police.
All ten members of “The New Greatness” were arrested, some of them tortured and forced to make false testimonies against each other.
