The political satire “The Death of Stalin” by Armando Iannucci, which has been banned from screening in Russia, will begin showing in Croatian cinemas on Thursday, March 15.
The film was screened at the end of January at an internal showing for leaders of the Russian film industry, representatives of the Russian historical society, and members of the public committee of the Ministry of Culture, after which it was decided that it would not be shown in cinemas in Russia.
Russian Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky explained the committee’s decision by stating that it is “a film that mocks the entire history of a state that defeated a fascist regime in an extremely derisive manner, going so far as to offend Stalin’s victims. As such, the film is unsuitable for screening due to the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Stalingrad.”
The plot of the film revolves around ministers who fight for control after the death of their great leader, with some wanting to introduce positive changes while others have darker motives, but they all share one thing in common – they desperately want to survive.
Steve Buscemi plays Nikita Khrushchev, Jeffrey Tambor is Georgy Malenkov, Michael Palin is Vyacheslav Molotov, and Simon Russell Beale is Lavrentiy Beria. All of them become key figures in the turbulent history of the USSR after Stalin’s sudden death (Adrian McLoughlin), as well as the main characters of this cinematic farce.
“It is a combination of uproarious comedy, drama, and political intrigue that presents the people who decided the lives and fates of millions during crucial moments in the history of the USSR in a completely different way,” emphasizes the announcement from the Croatian distributor of the film, Discovery.
Armando Iannucci, who wrote and directed the film, is best known as the creator of the comedy series “Veep,” for which he won two Emmys in the categories of Best Series and Best Writing, and he also has an Oscar nomination for the original screenplay for the film “In the Loop.”
The film “The Death of Stalin” is not based on historical events but on a comic book translated in Croatia as “Stalin’s Death,” and, inspired by the best film classics of the satire genre, such as “Dr. Strangelove,” “Life is Beautiful,” or the latest season of “The Thick of It,” it addresses a serious topic with a lot of humor.
