Alexander Rodnyansky Expects Russia To Hand Him A Lengthy Prison Sentence In His Absence But Will Continue Bolstering His Film & TV Slate: “It’s Too Late To Silence Me” – NATPE Budapest
Alexander Rodnyansky expects Russian authorities to sentence him to up to ten years in prison in his absence over his anti-war stance, but the AR Content founder says it’s “too late to be scared” as he focuses on bolstering his slate of film and TV series.
Rodnyansky was born in Kyiv but a Moscow resident when, as a vocal critic of Russia’s attack on Ukraine, he was forced to flee in 2022.
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Speaking at NATPE Budapest, the producer and former TV exec talked about his anti-war position and his large social media following. “That’s why I am arrested in absentia,” he said. “I’m on trial right now and I am about to get a sentence of from eight-to-ten years of imprisonment. Many of my friends already received these sentences; writers, journalists, some filmmakers.”
Rodnyansky said charges against him and others are designed to shut down anti-war voices inside Russia. He added that he is not fearful when it comes to his situation. “It’s too late to be scared,” he said. “Fear is a good thing when you can make a change – I can’t.
“I believe I belong to the many people who are speaking out against the war, and believe there are plenty of very decent people inside of Russia who are very much against the war. The [authorities] want to silence them. It’s too late to silence me.”
Through his AR Content banner, Rodnyansky has a slate of five films for 2024, with three more to come. The 2025 slate will feature a similar volume although spread across feature and TV content, he told Deadline. “This year we’re much more active in movies [than series]. We will have eight in production,” he said. “Next year, we’re going to have probably the same number and more TV shows.”
During his time at NATPE Budapest, the producer talked about Laszlo Nemes’ long-awaited new picture, Orphan, which he said had started shooting in Hungary last week, and Amy Adams and Murray Bartlett-starrer At the Sea, from Kornel Mundruczó, as well as Israeli director Dani Rosenberg’s Of Dogs and Men.
The quintet of movie projects is rounded out by Butterfly Jam, the first English-language film from Beanpole helmer Kantemir Balagov, and Occupation, from Ukrainian writer-director Myroslav Slaboshpytskyi and based upon “We Can Only Be Enemies”, a Peter Pomerantsev article for The Atlantic.
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