REVIVING MEMORY!

Two years after he was gunned down in Moscow, Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov’s murder remains shrouded in controversy, as supporters insist the masterminds are yet to be unmasked. Now a new documentary film is set to shine a fresh spotlight on a tumultuous career that saw him go from deputy prime minister to fierce Kremlin critic — at a time when his memory is still a sensitive subject for the authorities. Nemtsov was shot dead on a bridge just metres from the Kremlin as he walked home through central Moscow late on February 27, 2015. The shock killing was the highest-profile assassination of a Kremlin critic since President Vladimir Putin came to power.

While five men have gone on trial accused of carrying out an alleged contract hit, Nemtsov’s family and supporters say the murder trail points to more senior officials in the North Caucasus Chechnya region but complain that those who ordered the killing have got off scot-free.

The new film, entitled “The Man Who Was Too Free”, does not delve into Nemtsov’s murder but focuses instead on his political convictions as he went from Kremlin insider under former president Boris Yeltsin to one of Putin’s most prominent critics.

It is due to roll out across 20 cities, including Moscow, from Thursday after getting officially certified for release in cinemas to the surprise and delight of those behind it, in a country where works on sensitive subjects can face hurdles.

“I didn’t expect that we would get such a release,” the film’s director Vera Krichevskaya. “I hope that all will be well.”

The film’s credited backers include ex-telecoms magnate Dmitry Zimin, who has come under pressure from authorities over his funding of civil society.

But producer Yevgeny Gindilis said that documentary films had a freer hand to deal with subjects frowned on by the authorities than Russianmade feature films, which often rely on at least some government funding.

“Documentaries let you talk about the topics that concern Russian society,” he said. “In feature films, this has become much more difficult.” With a budget of just over 100,000 euros ($105,400), the two-hour film features interviews with major figures from Nemtsov’s political career and archival footage.

Most interviews were done by Mikhail Fishman, editor-in-chief of The Moscow Times newspaper.