THE PREMIERE OF EMIR KUSTURICA’S FILM “THE PEOPLE OF CHRIST: OUR TIME” TOOK PLACE IN PARIS

The Western European premiere of the documentary film “The People of Christ: Our Time”, created by Serbian filmmakers under the direction of renowned director Emir Kusturica, took place on the evening of May 29, 2025, at the Russian Orthodox Spiritual and Cultural Center in Paris, according to TASS.

The film tells the story of the persecution of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church by the Kyiv authorities and also addresses the broader issue of the oppression of Christian communities around the world. Citizens from several countries — including Russia, the United Kingdom, Italy, Serbia, and Ukraine — share their perspectives on the issue in the film.

Although “The People of Christ: Our Time” premiered in Belgrade in September 2024, the Paris screening marked the first opportunity for Western European audiences to see the film in Russian with French subtitles.

“For the Russian Spiritual and Cultural Center, the screening of ‘The People of Christ: Our Time’ is a significant event. It is the first showing of the film not only in France but in all of Western Europe. We hope this initiative will serve as a warning and help open the eyes of the French audience to the difficult truth of the church schism in Ukraine,” said Anna Kotlova, Cultural Affairs Envoy of the Russian Embassy in France and Director of the Center.

According to Priest Georgy (Sheshko), “this film is a warning and an alarm bell — and its deep, disturbing call must reach as many people as possible.”
As noted by the screenwriter, one of the founders of the Yugoslav film school Jovan Marković, “the film was created by cultural figures from several countries.”
“From Russia, Serbia, Italy — but most importantly, Orthodox Ukrainians took part in its creation,” he emphasized in his address to the audience.