Alex Gibney's New Documentary Illuminates Russian Realities

WDCB’s Gary Zidek talks to Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney about his new documentary, CITIZEN K.

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WDCB's Gary Zidek talks to director Alex Gibney about his new documentary CITIZEN K.

“The rise-fall-rise story of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who was in some ways a big rival to Vladimir Putin, so if you wanted to understand power in Russia, Khodorkovsky’s story seemed like an ideal place to start.” - Alex Gibney, director of CITIZEN K, wanted to make a film about how power works in Russia.

Alex Gibney

A new documentary offers a glimpse of the political and economic realities inside Russia. Directed by Alex Gibney, CITIZEN K uses details of a fallen Russian oligarch to shed light on a much bigger story about power. The film covers the rise and fall of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a businessman who amassed a fortune in banking and oil industries after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in the early 90’s. His fortunes shift as Russia’s political leadership transitions from Boris Yeltsin to Vladimir Putin.

Mikhail Khodorkovsky

CITIZEN K is playing in select theaters around the country, in Chicago it’s currently playing at the Gene Siskel Film Center. Go to siskelfilmcenter.org for more information.