The price of freedom. Director Alexander Molochnikov talks about Extremist, his short film about former political prisoner Sasha Skochilenko

December 30, 2025

TL;DR

"Extremist," a short film about Russian artist Sasha Skochilenko's anti-war protests using supermarket price tags, is an Academy Award contender.
Skochilenko was sentenced to seven years in prison for spreading "false information" but was released in a prisoner exchange.
The 17-minute film, directed by Alexander Molochnikov, was shot in Latvia and has received awards at the BAFTA Student Film Awards.
Ben Stiller and John Lesher have joined the project as executive producers.
Molochnikov discusses the decision to film in Russian, the film's intended audience, and its potential resonance with American audiences due to current protest situations.
Molochnikov received Skochilenko's approval for the script and spoke with her and her girlfriend, Sonya Subbotina, shortly before Skochilenko's release.
A detail about Skochilenko's distinctive woolly hat, which played a role in her identification, was considered for the film but did not make the final cut.
Molochnikov highlights Skochilenko's refusal to sign a statement recanting her words as her most heroic act, deeming her a hero of our time.
Ben Stiller became involved after being shown the film by Molochnikov's teacher and has helped bring further attention to the project before Oscar shortlist voting.

Continue reading
the original article