Angelina Vovk burst into tears at the screening of the film “Cheburashka” in the State Duma

Advertising posters were installed at the entrance to the State Duma. The picture shows Cheburashka against the backdrop of the State Duma building. The show was organized by the committee on family and women’s issues.

The venue is a small hall with 200 seats. According to informed colleagues, party meetings are held here more often than movies are shown.

Seats were reserved in advance. On each lay pieces of paper: “Reserve”, “Employed”, “Children”, “Reception of the Communist Party.” Nameplates were left on the chairs where the deputies were supposed to sit. United Russia Sholban Valeryevich Kara-Ool took four chairs, Nina Ostanina, chairman of the Committee on Family, Women and Children, three. Communist Nikolai Osadchy and Angelina Vovk limited themselves to one place.

On some chairs were branded notebooks and the newspaper of the parliamentary assembly of the Union of Belarus and Russia “Union Veche”. Lower-level employees of the State Duma staked out chairs, putting some receipts on them.

– Only deputies were invited here, but also ordinary employees of the administrative apparatus. I saw an employee of the personnel department, a barmaid, a waitress, – one of those present explained. – We came with children. Today they made an exception for them, usually children are not allowed into the State Duma. Now they were taken to the buffet.

– And often you are satisfied with such shows?

“Movies used to be shown often. Stanislav Govorukhin organized viewings for us. When he died, the movie ended. But they did show something. It seems that the last film show took place six months ago.

The people were increasing every minute. Soon the seats ran out. The crowd lined up along the walls.

Does everyone really want to watch a children’s film? Or were people rounded up according to the order? I asked one pensioner.

– Yes, what are you? the woman was surprised. “We don’t chase anyone away. Everyone came of their own free will, who would refuse a free screening? It’s a pity it was done early. Usually at 19.00 they played a movie, but here at 17.00, I had to ask for leave. So tomorrow you have to work until late, work off hours.

I managed to take a chair under the screen. Watching a movie from this place is a dubious pleasure. With me sat women 50 plus and a few older men in suits.

“Something I don’t see anyone I know,” the audience was talking among themselves. – Angelina Vovk will come for some reason …

“Probably, he will tell his opinion about Cheburashka,” someone suggested.

Among the recognizable persons, I saw only the actor Vladimir Permyakov, the same Lenya Golubkov, who bought boots for his wife in the MMM commercial.

“Defeated” Avatar “

Then the official part began. Judging by the signs on the tables, six people were supposed to speak to the audience. But two speakers – Angelina Vovk with her friend and director Svetlana Torgala – were late.

Actress and deputy Elena Drapeko was the first to speak. She began with the fact that until recently “our cinema for children and youth had its opponents in the camp of villains who do not like children – childfree and other monsters.” Apparently, now these “monsters” are finished.

She reminded the audience that the deputies managed to ban the privatization of the Gorky film studio: “The transfer of shares was banned in time. Now the film studio is 100 percent state property.” The hall exploded with applause and shouts of “thank you”.

Not without mentioning Comrade Stalin.

“At the committee meeting, we discussed the fate of our future cinema – whether or not it is necessary to regulate what goes on the screen,” Drapeko said. – Earlier, we faced a crazy situation when the film “The Death of Stalin” was released on the screens of Europe. A scandalous film that showed our leader, Comrade Stalin, in an unattractive way. But we had no legal possibility not to release the film on the screen. Then we made a voluntaristic decision – not to give him a rental certificate.

The parliamentarian said that it is now necessary to carefully regulate film content so as not to harm the health of children: “We are fighting to ensure that it is safe for children and adults to go to cinemas.”

And again applause.

Then the head of the department of cinematography and digital development of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation Dmitry Davidenko took the floor. The man got a standing ovation after the words “Cheburashka defeated the Avatar” (according to the number of tickets sold).

“There was a period when we lost children’s cinema,” Davidenko said. – Screenwriters have grown up who do not know how to write scripts for children’s films. Now you need to find unique, right projects to choose from among many bad scenarios.

The light has been extinguished. Belated Angelina Vovk ran into the hall.

“If the film were shown in Ukraine, we would bring back the good past”

I went out into the corridor.

After a while, the audience began to leave the hall.

“We actually came to the State Duma to see, take pictures here, there won’t be another chance,” admitted three men and one woman.

“We have already watched Cheburashka, we have other goals here,” the man with his daughter smiled.

The young man at the entrance explained that his father, deputy Bekhan Barakhoev, brought him.

– How’s the movie?

“Fine,” the teenager shrugged.

There were three students in the hall. Back to the session did not rush.

“We’re tired of sitting on the steps,” the young man explained, “Yes, and we’re bored, it’s a children’s movie, we don’t watch that.

When asked how they got here, one of the guys replied that his mother was an assistant to a deputy of the Moscow City Duma.

Soon a man came down after the students: “Well, let’s go see the office of Zyuganov and Zhirinovsky.”

A man ran out of the room.

– Did you like the movie? I asked.

– Of course.

– Why are you leaving?

– Affairs.

The man went down to the floor below, sat in an armchair and was stuck on the phone. Then he walked along the corridors for a long time. But he never returned to the cinema.

The movie is over. Deputy Nina Ostanina lingered to answer journalists’ questions.

“In this film, it was said that you can’t betray people who believe in you,” the parliamentarian said. – I want to tell the guys who are outside this room that we believe in them and believe in our victory. If this film were shown in all CIS countries, in Ukraine, we would be able to return our good past.

– Something not so many deputies gathered?

“I didn’t count,” Ostanina admitted.

The man nearby suggested: “There were 15-20 people.”

– You see, nevertheless, they came, many brought their children – this is significant. Although we have big Christmas meetings on Thursday, the day will be eventful,” said Nina Alexandrovna. – By the way, some even cried during the viewing. Angelina Vovk was sitting with me, I saw that she broke into tears.

Is Cheburashka a girl, a boy or a third gender?

– Cheburashka is good.

– Psychologists say that the film breaks family values. Father-Gena abandons the child-Cheburashka. Before that, he abandoned his own daughter.

– I do not think so. The film collects family values. Cheburashka managed to gather all the people who were divided by life. And he even made the child speak, who was speechless, looking at the unfortunate grandfather, father and mother. So I have the opposite opinion.

– Are you going to hold such events?

– By February 23, we want to show a film of war correspondents who are now in the NWO.

– Do you think it will be the same full house?

– Not. This is a different movie, heavy, it is only for deputies. Children will not be invited.

Will Cheburashka teach the deputies something?

– A lot. For me, this is a very philosophical film. It is about what we have lost and must return. And we must return childhood to our children.

The people were in no hurry to leave. People took pictures with Nina Ostanina, took selfies for a long time and filmed videos in the corridors of the State Duma.