The award-winning documentary "Navalny": Review

The gripping Daniel Roher documentary Navalny, which came out on April 11, 2022, has been viewed by millions across the world. After the story of famous Russian opposition leader, Alexin Navalny, the film beautifully illustrates the struggles of Russian opposition.

Shortly after his poisoning by Kremlin agents, the documentary begins. The film shows an ill but determined Navalny and his allies in Europe as they try to navigate the unclear waters that are Putin's regime. Navalny, using an Austrian group of hackers (whose families don’t know what they do), is able to track down Kremlin operatives, as well as return to Russia.

Without spoiling the documentary. Navalny is a well put together picture, and more people are experiencing the film due to recent events in Ukraine. The film breaks the stereotypical structure of a documentary, by filming scenes of Navalny physically changing the course of history, and filming scenes that were famous in the news. Scenes that are more entertaining and suspenseful than that of action movies show how important the problems that happen are. In short, the film has been crafted perfectly by Rohder, to make a suspenseful documentary that shows the work that both Alexi Navalny, his allies, and the West as a whole, have put in for a free Russia, as shown in the final product.

I have especially appreciated the work the film has put in so that Navalny, his family, and his investigators can appear as human beings with human emotion. The relationship between him and his wife, Yulia Navalnya is beautifully portrayed. As an audience, we can see the love for each other they share, as well as their willingness to sacrifice for the Russian People. Another appearance that was emotional was Navalny’s daughter Daria. She does not have a large appearance in the film (to my disappointment), only a short interview in which she talks about how she accepts that her father can not always be there for her, but she knows he loves her. 

The documentary is a modern masterpiece that, in my opinion, is more entertaining than more recent movies. The documentary has received multiple awards. It is absolutely a must watch.

By Jackson Stewart