Alexander Rodnyansky Explores 'Criminal' Identity in Upcoming Documentary 'Notes of a True Criminal'

Director Alexander Rodnyansky, renowned for establishing Ukraine's first indie TV network 1+1, is returning to his documentary roots with a new film titled 'Notes of a True Criminal,' as reported by Deadline. The director, sentenced in absentia by a Moscow court last year for his anti-war expressions, ironically calls himself a 'criminal.'

Rodnyansky revealed his project aims to blend elements from past documentaries shot during the Cold War with current images from the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and World War II footage sourced from his family archives. According to Deadline, the documentary will feature battlefield scenes, trial footage, and prisoner of war experiences.

The director describes his work as an intensely personal narrative, told through the lens of a single family. He recounts documenting the 1990 withdrawal of Soviet troops from Eastern Germany, a process he perceived as not a retreat from war but a movement toward it. As the project nears completion, Rodnyansky is engaging with major film festivals for a potential festival circuit debut.

(With inputs from agencies.)