Anton Dolin: The Bad Russians — Cinema from “Brother” to “The Boy’s Word”

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We were delighted to welcome Anton Dolin @critic_dolin, one of the most prominent voices in contemporary Russian film criticism. Dolin is a journalist, writer, and lecturer, known for his thoughtful and often provocative reflections on cinema's relationship with society, culture, and politics.

He served as the editor-in-chief of Iskusstvo Kino (The Art of Cinema), Russia's oldest and most influential film magazine, and has been a regular contributor to major media outlets including Radio Mayak, Echo of Moscow, and Meduza.

In conversation with Artemii Levkoy @comrade.matthiola, Dolin discussed how Russian films have portrayed morally complex, "bad" heroes — from Balabanov's Brother to the recent phenomenon The Boy's Word — and what these characters reveal about post-Soviet identity and values.