JAMES JONES | UK | 2024 | 89 MIN | ENGLISH, RUSSIAN, BULGARIAN
As one of the most vocal critics of Vladimir Putin’s regime, investigative journalist Christo Grozev has been relentless in uncovering the wrongdoings of the Russian government, including plots to poison dissidents and opposition leaders. Now, Grozev has found himself on the receiving end of Putin’s ire, with devastating consequences for himself and his family. In Antidote, director James Jones follows Grozev—exiled thousands of miles from home—as he witnesses the fallout of his outspokenness in real time. Jones also highlights the stories of two other brave men: a scientist-turned-whistleblower desperately seeking to escape Russia for the European Union, and an influential activist now imprisoned after a dubious treason conviction. With startlingly intimate access, the film puts a human face to the shocking and increasingly brazen tactics of Putin’s government to silence dissent. It’s a boldly cinematic documentary with all the twists and turns of an espionage thriller, yet the political and human stakes are painfully real.
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