Russia says ‘Child 44’ distorts Soviet history, pulls it from cinemas

Russia’s Ministry of Culture has announced that the Hollywood film Child 44 is being pulled from distribution in Russian movie theaters. Officials say the film is inappropriate ahead of celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the USSR’s victory in World War II.

A day before the movie was meant to premiere in Russian cinemas, the Ministry of Culture organized press viewing, attended by representatives of the ministry, the Russian film-distribution company Central Partnership, and the news media. Afterwards, state officials and the film’s distributor came to the conclusion that Child 44 distorts historical facts and offers a peculiar interpretation of “events before, during, and after WWII” and “the character and spirit of Soviet citizens during this era.”

According to the government, Central Partnership decided to pull Child 44 from movie theaters across Russia. 

On April 14, a viewing was held for journalists, film experts, and representatives of the Ministry of Culture and the film’s Russian distributor, Central Partnership. Afterwards, the distributor and Ministry of Culture came to the same conclusion: it would be inappropriate to distribute such a film ahead of the 70th anniversary of Victory Day.

The film Child 44 is an upcoming mystery thriller film set in Stalinist Russia directed by Daniel Espinosa, starring Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, and Noomi Rapace. Hardy plays Leo Demidov, a disgraced police agent investigating a strange and brutal series of child murders.