In the two months leading up to Vladimir Putin’s third re-election to the Russian presidency, 10 young directors turn their cameras to the streets. What they capture is a revealing account of the explosive political climate in contemporary Russia. Putin, a former KGB agent, has his own peculiar form of Soviet-style democracy, which, according to the opposition, includes violations of freedom of speech and outright electoral fraud. He calls it “managed democracy,” but it’s a practice that’s left the country deeply divided into two distinct groups: Putin lovers and Putin haters. Winter Go Away! is raw and powerful. It includes scenes like the famous Pussy Riot church performance that made world headlines and resulted in the imprisonment of several members.
