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From Toronto’s Globe and Mail (August 15, 2005):
Ukraine, Georgia fuming over planned Russian sex film
Alexei Mitrofanov, deputy leader of Russia's [misnamed] Liberal Democratic Party [(aka Zhironovsky’s crazy fascists)], says he cannot understand the ruckus over his dirty movie.
What's so wrong, he asks, about writing a film script that imagines a steamy rendezvous between a buxom woman named Yulia and a darkly handsome gentleman named Mikhail?
What does it matter if the porn star selected for the role of Yulia wears the same braided hairstyle as Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko? Or that she climbs into a Russian attack helicopter, zooms over the mountains along Georgia's northern border and makes love to someone who resembles Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili?
"How can they react like this when they haven't even seen the film?" said Mr. Mitrofanov, a senior member of the State Duma, or lower parliament, better-known for his extreme nationalist politics than his prowess as an author of sex films.
…
Rumours are circulating about possible retaliation by Ukrainian filmmakers, who are reportedly trying to cast a male porn star who resembles Russian President Vladimir Putin for a gay film.
…
Despite the recent history, Mr. Mitrofanov seems hopeful that his 26-minute sex film, titled Yulia, will take foreign relations to new heights -- literally and figuratively.
"Political erotics are a new genre that I have discovered," he said. "The film is about politics. It makes a political statement, they don't just [have sex]."
…
Mr. Mitrofanov rejected the idea that he's creating propaganda.
"Is the film The Interpreter propaganda or big cinema?" he said. "Is the film JFK propaganda or big cinema? Why is it that in America these films are considered big cinema but films like this in Russia are considered propaganda? This is big cinema and I am a great master [baiter]."
Credit: Charlie
