Based on director Vitaly Manskiy’s astonishingly intimate behind-the-scenes footage of Vladimir Putin and Boris Yeltsin when the former replaced the latter as president of Russia, PUTIN’S WITNESSES offers a unique insight into the inner dealings of the Kremlin. Examining his own contribution to the rise of Putin in his role as head of documentaries of Russian national broadcasting, Manskiy has created an invaluable historical document and an engrossing analysis of how the most successful politician of our time works to construct truth and politics.
Festival guest, Q&A: Vitaly Manskiy, director
Vitalij Manskij

Vitaly Mansky (Russia/Ukraine, 1963) Selected filmography: UNDER THE SUN (BIFF 2016), CLOSE RELATIONS (BIFF 2016), PIPELINE (BIFF 2013), MOTHERLAND OR DEATH (2011), TENDER'S HEAT: WILD WILD BEACH (BIFF 2007)