Altogether, as the representatives of the Czech documentary film community, we demand an immediate release of our colleague, filmmaker Oleg Sentsov, who was arrested by the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation on 10 May 2014 and brought to Moscow to face what Amnesty International described as “an unfair trial in a military court.”
On May 14, 2018 Oleg Sentsov, sentenced to 20 years in jail, announced an indefinite hunger strike demanding the release of all 64 political prisoners convicted in Russia, denouncing their torture and restrictions in the access to a lawyer and medical care. After 46 days of a hunger strike, Oleg’s kidneys and heart are collapsing. As Oleg himself stated, “A big betrayal sometimes begins with a small act of cowardice.” In front of an imminent risk of a death of an innocent filmmaker, we urge the political representatives and legal authorities all across the Europe for a strong personal engagement in the matter of Oleg Sentsov.
We firmly believe in the free artistic and political expression as essential and basic values of any society. As documentary and film institutions, we cannot stress enough the vital work documentary filmmakers do, while bringing up stories of violations of freedom and justice.
As the Czech film community we would like to turn the public attention to Oleg Sentsov as an artist and a director. Karlovy Vary International Film Festival will therefore in the collaboration with the Institute of Documentary Film and the producer Olga Zhurzhenko (Cry Cinema) screen Oleg Sentsov’s internationally awarded film - Gamer. The public is invited to join the screening on Wednesday, July 4, 2018 at 2:00 pm at the pop-up club Aeroport, (Dr David Becher street 24, Karlovy Vary). The screening will be opened by the internationally acclaimed, award-winning director Vitaly Mansky.
The request Oleg Sentsov’s and all the Ukrainian prisoners of conscience immediate release and a cordial invitation to the screening comes from
Audiovisual Producers' Association (APA)
Czech Film Center
Doc Alliance Films
dok.incubator
Institute of Documentary Film
One World IHRDFF
Ji.hlava IDFF
Karlovy Vary IFF
More information about Free Oleg Sentsov campaign: http://bit.ly/free-oleg-sentsov
