Film Review: F@ck This Job

Writers: Paulina Ukrainets and Vera Krichevskaya

Director: Vera Krichevskaya

Charles Foster Kane famously thought it would be fun to run a newspaper. The same, blasé attitude seems to underlie Natasha Sindeeva’s decision to set-up an independent news TV station based in Russia. The growth (and decline) of Sindeeva’s station is mirrored by the remorseless rise of Vladimir Putin and F@ck This Job, Vera Krichevskaya’s documentary, describes the consequences of Russia’s increasingly intolerant attitude towards dissent for the station, the staff and the country as a whole.

Krichevskaya sets a context for an odd decision to invest in a project that seems doomed to fail. In 2008 Natasha Sindeeva is married to a wealthy banker. Russia is going through its ‘fat years’ of oligarchs and high living and then-Russian president Dmitry Medvedev is regarded as liberal and has introduced a wide-ranging modernisation programme. However, when Medvedev steps aside and allows Vladimir Putin to introduce constitutional reforms ultimately making him president until 2036 the atmosphere in which the station operates changes considerably.

The documentary comprises archive footage and talking head interviews – most of the latter involving the employees of the TV station. Owner Natasha Sindeeva is presented as a contradictory figure – as she rarely expresses political opinions it is hard to see how she could manage a radical organisation. With a privileged background and a partying lifestyle she is an unlikely radical. Her vision for the TV station (with the odd name of Dozhd– ‘rain’) is decidedly lightweight – the slogan is ‘We changed the world for the better’ and content is intended as feelgood lifestyle programmes. Sindeeva behaves like a dilettante; treating Dozhd as the opportunity to hob-nob with celebrities; to the disgust of her staff, she hosts a visit from President Dmitry Medvedev and self-censors a satirical piece.

Sindeeva’s chaotic management style brings to mind our own dear Prime Minister. There are a depressing number of shots of presenters fluffing lines and staff admit they were initially regarded as the biggest joke of the industry but had great parties. Vera Krichevskaya, who directs the documentary, worked at Dozhd but left early. The fact such a motley crew could attract attention from the authorities gives an idea of the level of paranoia running through the Russian government.

As the political climate becomes less tolerant advertisers under pressure from the government desert the station compelling changes in the way it broadcasts and its location. At one stage Dozhd broadcasts from a building owned by the Ministry of Defence whose other tenants include an illegal brothel – two of the oldest professions under one roof remarks a joker.

It seems Dozhd became radical because of the attitudes and beliefs of the staff rather than the owner. The employees include members of Russia’s LGBTQ community; remarkable in a country where they are legally categorised as second-class citizens. The inspirational way in which Natasha Sindeeva develops such a dedicated workforce is shown in a simple understated manner as to seem almost accidental. Her non-judgemental attitude attracts, and secures loyalty from, people who regard themselves as outcasts from the norm. Throughout the documentary staff emphasise how they regard Dozhd as home and each other as family.

The motivation of Natasha Sindeeva in setting up and, more importantly maintaining Dozhd at great financial and personal cost remains obscure and the documentary lacks a ’storm the barricades’ inspirational speech to clarify her motivation. This may be because Sindeeva regards the answer as obvious; the closest she comes to articulating her vision is remarking she is reconciled to Putin being here to stay; and we must figure out how to live in such a situation. The implication being that faced with a despotic approach one simply has to take a position of opposition. John Le Carré remarked ‘today one must think like a hero to behave like a merely decent human being’ and by that assessment Natasha Sindeeva is a hero –setting up a community for people who regard themselves as misfits and giving them a voice.

F@ck This Job is a well-balanced documentary. The closest it comes to expressing a political opinion is a medley of Vladimir Putin stating he will not be making any constitutional reforms before doing just that. Rather than concentrating solely on the complex central character the documentary sets the context of the political situation in Russia and uses Dozhd as an inspiring example of how a totalitarian regime can be opposed by the least likely of people. However, in a way this balanced approach limits the appeal of the film, leaving the audience better informed but not necessarily emotionally involved.

F@CK THIS JOBis in UK cinemas from 24 February