 Russian film fans are flocking to see bootleg versions of the Barbie film – defying official warnings that the Hollywood blockbuster is 'not in line' with President Vladimir Putin's goals for 'preserving and strengthening Russian values'. Cinemagoers are proving their pink credentials by going to unofficial screenings of the movie, which is hitting the big screen despite Western sanctions after invasion of Ukraine. Pirate versions of the Greta Gerwig film inspired by the iconic Mattel doll, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, are slipping under the radar and being dubbed into Russian. To avoid licencing issues, some cinemas have been selling tickets to Russian-made shorts – showing Barbie as a 'free preview', according to reports. The BBC revealed how, at one Moscow shopping centre where the film is being shown nearby, fans were left tickled pink by a giant fuchsia-coloured house, complete with matching furniture, popcorn and life-size cardboard cutouts of Barbie and just Ken. One fan said: 'People should have the right to choose what they watch. 'I think it's good that Russian cinemas are able to show these films for us.' Film critic Anton Dolin, the former editor of Iskusstvo Kino, one of Russia's oldest and most popular film magazines, told the Guardian that the demand for unofficial screenings reflects the attitude of Russians who are against the war. Russians are queueing up to see the unauthorised versions of the Barbie film (Picture: BBC) Hollywood's boycott of Russia is an example of the privileges they once enjoyed but are now deprived of, explained Dolin, who fled the country after being targeted by pro-war ultranationalists and now lives in Latvia. 'They see watching Hollywood movies as a right,' he told the newspaper. But Russian MP, Maria Butina, is not a fan of the film or the doll that inspired it. She told the BBC: 'I have issues with Barbie as a femal){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
Russian film fans are flocking to see bootleg versions of the Barbie film – defying official warnings that the Hollywood blockbuster is ‘not in line’ with President Vladimir Putin’s goals for ‘preserving and strengthening Russian values’.
Cinemagoers are proving their pink credentials by going to unofficial screenings of the movie, which is hitting the big screen despite Western sanctions after invasion of Ukraine.
Pirate versions of the Greta Gerwig film inspired by the iconic Mattel doll, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, are slipping under the radar and being dubbed into Russian.
To avoid licencing issues, some cinemas have been selling tickets to Russian-made shorts – showing Barbie as a ‘free preview’, according to reports.