• Discussant: to be announced.
• In Russian with English subtitles.
• 52 minutes.

Inside Russia: Traitors and Heroes document an extraordinary year in the lives of ordinary Russians. As anti-war protests are brutally suppressed across the country, a local politician condemns the war on social media. The authorities decided to press charges. She must decide whether to face a criminal conviction or flee the country. A group of young graffiti artists begins a campaign of subversive art to mock the government’s pro-war propaganda. Soon one of their members is arrested. It has been dangerous for ordinary Russians to speak up against Vladimir Putin’s regime for years. New censorship laws, introduced since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, have made it tougher than ever. Since then, many thousands have fled Russia and those who stayed have had to choose: to stay silent, or to oppose, or to support the Russian government. 

CineCulture is a film series provided as a service to Fresno State campus students, faculty and staff, and the broader community. CineCulture is also offered as a three-unit academic course (MCJ 179) in the Media, Communications and Journalism Department. The CineCulture Club promotes cultural awareness through film and post-screening discussions.

Screenings are held at 5:30 p.m. on Fridays in the Peters Education Center Auditorium (west of Save-Mart Center in the Student Recreation Center Building). All films screened on campus are free and open to the public. Parking is free (not enforced) after 4 p.m. on Fridays.