httpvh://youtu.be/-Mu3jqfyAdY

Flying dildos crushed Garry Kasparov’s political credibility. They also expose weaknesses in this soul-sapping documentary about the Russian youth movement Nashi. In a scene YouTube was built for, the chess grandmaster-turned-Russian opposition politico has his press conference invaded by sex toys mounted on miniature helicopters. Hilarious and sad all at once, the bit which checkmates Kasparov’s ambitions occurs when an aide vaults into the air in a vain attempt to swat the phalluses down. Putin’s Kiss leaves this bit out because it is on the side of the dildo swatters. Watch this one, though, and you’ll soon be on the side of the dildo swatters too.

… any organisation with a tagline of ‘democratic anti-fascist youth movement’ might have something to hide.

The documentary tells the story of the Russians who have fallen foul of the government sanctioned youth movement Nashi, leading up to the severe beating of journalist Oleg Nashim. It follows the political journey of former member Masha Drokova as she comes to realise that any organisation with a tagline of ‘democratic anti-fascist youth movement’ might have something to hide. Occasionally told rather crudely, the film occasionally uses the same propaganda tactics it throws at Nashi. For example, it opens with Drokova swishing her hair and using her laptop as the narration describes her as the new Russian generation, or ‘forgets’ to label a Nashi placard denouncing oligarch Boris Berezovsky, amongst more worthy victims of persecution.

Yet past these partisan niggles, a deeply disturbing picture emerges. Put together in response to the popular uprisings in the former communist countries, such as the Orange Revolution in Ukraine, Nashi could be a Hitler Youth clone. Vaguely reminiscent of the Famous Five spoof in Viz, its members denounce shopkeepers selling out-of-date goods before moving on to mounting plans for comics ridiculing Russian anti-heroes such as Human Rights Man, and urging book burnings on national television. Naturally, when the liberal media try immolating a set text by Kremlin aid Vladislav Surkov, it ends with calls for prosecution, and Oleg Nashim having his skull reinforced with a steel plate.

The idea of the ‘signal’ emerges in Putin’s Kiss where the leaders up high perform seemingly innocent acts which become filtered into calls to arms for the rank and file footsoldiers. What better signal could there be than the change of heart of a girl kissed by the almighty president? It may be creaky in places, and heavy-handed, but as one opposition member says, it’s either democracy or it isn’t. Dildo democracy doesn’t count.