Diagnosis: Dissent

Diagnosis: Dissent (2024)

БожеВільні

The protagonist Andrii Dovzhenko finds out a horrible truth, that has been hidden in USSR for years - most of those accused of «anti-Soviet propaganda» were never sent to prison, but to special psychiatric hospitals with a diagnosis of "slow progressive schizophrenia". Andrii finds himself in a real hell of punitive psychiatry and faces a difficult choice - to cooperate with the KGB and return to his family, or to reveal the truth about dissidents tortured in such psychiatric hospitals. The script was based on the memoirs of Soviet dissidents who faced the brutality of a totalitarian system that used so-called "punitive psychiatry" as a weapon against free thought.

Date of release
2024-10-31
TMDB
7.4 / 10 (15)
Runtime
1h 58m
Genres
Drama, History
Director
Denis Tarasov

Casting

Interesting facts

Diagnosis: Dissent is a 2023 Ukrainian feature film, a historical drama directed by Denys Tarasov, whose characters in the 1970s confront the Soviet system's use of punitive psychiatry to suppress dissent.

Production

The film marked the feature directorial debut of Denys Tarasov.

"Diagnosis: Dissent is a story about the unequal struggle of one small individual against the powerful mechanism of a totalitarian state with its sprawling network of spies and agents who, like parasites, fed on its vitality and the lives of innocent citizens. Clearly, defeating such an enemy is impossible without personal sacrifice. Dissidents waged a long battle, with something greater than personal life at stake.

The director focused heavily on recreating the 1970s era, including sets, costumes, hairstyles, actors' appearances, and music. On the first day of shooting, Tarasov wore a 1970s-style outfit—flared trousers, a shirt, a wig, and long hair—to immerse himself in the atmosphere and connect with the actors.

Composer Hosein Mirzagoli created a soundtrack in the style of 1970s Western rock, reminiscent of an unreleased Led Zeppelin album. Music plays a pivotal role in the film, serving not just as background but as a symbol of freedom, a driver, and a catalyst for events.

The film was produced with support from the State Agency of Ukraine on Cinema.

Read on Wikipedia · Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Data from Wikidata.

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