Kostya Proletarsky - A documentary on the violence of prisons and the need to end the 'war on drugs'

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Kostya Proletarsky - A documentary on the violence of prisons and the need to end the 'war on drugs'

13 December 2021

On 19 June 2009 Kostya Proletarsky, a drug user and HIV activist, died of tuberculosis meningitis at the Botkin Hospital in St. Petersburg, Russia. His death was the result of three years of mistreatment and torture at the prison facility No. 4 in Karelia, Russia. In Russia, where drug treatment is barely available, imprisonment becomes the main “solution” to the problem of drug addiction. But unfortunately, these institutions don’t cure. Instead, prisons kill.

The animated hand drawn documentary, featuring the original audio interview with Kostya and his mother, Irina, aims to commemorate Kostya Proletarsky and many others who have not survived prison systems around the world.

This animated movie is produced by the Rights Reporter Foundation, narrated by Anya Sarang, directed by István Gábor Takács, and is hand drawn frame by frame by Lili Rontó.

The documentary film was screened at 7 film festivals around the world, and won the main prize of the 65th Hungarian National Independent Film festival, and of the Madrid Film and Human Rights Film Festival in 2020.

For background materials, press kit and other resources, visit: https://www.drugreporter.net/kostya
Or contact: takacsistvangabor@rightsreporter.net
For more information on the Andrey Rylkov Foundation, visit: https://rylkov-fond.org/

This video is produced by the Rights Reporter Foundation, a non-profit organisation, which is not supported by any governments or political parties. If you like our shows, please support our work on our website, https://drugreporter.net/support/. Make a donation today and become our supporting member.

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