Russian channel REN TV has become the first broadcaster to show the documentary ‘Ukraine on Fire’ produced by Academy Award winner Oliver Stone. The film revolves around the bloody armed coup in Kiev that took place three years ago.
The documentary shot by Ukrainian director Igor Lopatonok was screened at the Taormina International Film Festival in Italy earlier this year, but the general public hasn’t had a chance to see it yet.
Stone conducted interviews with Russian President Vladimir Putin and former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich, who was ousted by the protesters in 2013.
The Russian leader explained his reasons for deploying troops in Crimea and his view of why the former Ukrainian region voted to reunite with Russia.
Ukrainian head-of-state-turned-fugitive Viktor Yanukovich recalls what he believes was an attempt on his life.
Investigative journalist Robert Parry, who is famous for his role in uncovering the Iran-Contras affair in the 1980s, talks about how neoconservative US politicians played a part in creating the turmoil in Ukraine.
The documentary will be broadcast on November 21, the date Ukraine’s post-coup authorities made a national holiday to mark the events of 2013.
Meanwhile, a petition that describes the film as “provocation” has been launched online demanding that the Ukrainian authorities ban the channel for showing Stone’s documentary.
“If the staff of Ren TV wants us to open our doors to them, they should think how they would explain themselves to the customs officers and HR specialists,” the petition signed by over 10,000 people threatens.
The channel said it will show the documentary despite the threat, however.
After the premiere, Russia's RENTV said that the documentary only became a big hit with the Ukrainian audience.
The majority of the visitors on the channel’s website site, during the premiere, were Ukrainian IPs, watching the on-air live stream.
The broadcaster added that the online petition, which warned that ‘Ukraine on Fire’ was available to any Ukrainian citizen on the internet, became “the best possible advertising” for the film.
Earlier, Ukrainian diplomats tried to convince the French government to ban a French TV channel from broadcasting another documentary about the Ukrainian protests. Paris declined and Canal+ ran the film Masks of Revolution by Paul Moreira several times.