Documentary Feature | USA/UK | 2019 | Russian/English | 125 minutes
In Alex Gibney’s (TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE, GOING CLEAR) revelatory new documentary, the director looks at the curious case of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, once said to be the wealthiest man in Russia and now the unexpected leader of a resistance movement against Putin. Taking advantage of the chaotic re-organizing of the country after the collapse of the USSR, Khodorkovsky founded Yukos, the largest oil company in Russia. Using his elevated status to propel him into the world of politics, Khodorkovsky established himself as a vocal critic of Putin’s governmental corruption, soon leading to his imprisonment for nearly a decade and shocking rebirth as a human rights advocate. Interweaving Khodorkovsky’s story with the rise of Putin’s Russia, CITIZEN K is at once both engrossing political thriller and remarkable exposé on the country’s modern history.