A film “People of Christ – Our Time” was presented in Serbia, claiming the alleged persecution of the UOC (in unity with the Moscow Patriarchate). Serbian director Emir Kusturica, known for his pro-Russian stance, took part in the filmmaking process. Serbian Patriarch Porfirije attended the premiere.
This was reported by the pro-Russian propaganda resource Sputnik Serbia and the Serbian newspaper Politika.
The film was produced to testify about “the Calvary of Orthodoxy in the modern world, and especially in Ukraine, where not only by godlessness and inhumanity, but also missile strikes prevail,” noted pro-Russian propagandists.
Film director and screenwriter Jovan Markovic says he was in Kyiv several times, where he was once allegedly detained.
At the same time, producer Mirko Radenovic said that Serbs “best understand everything that happened to Ukraine.” He added that he wants as many people as possible to watch the film to understand what is “actually happening to the Orthodox Church in Kyiv and throughout Ukraine and what tortures its clergy is going through.” He says the idea for the film was conceived as he was talking to “friends” from Kyiv who were visiting Belgrade.
Priests Ruslan Kalinchuk of Ivano-Frankivsk region and Mykola Mohylnyi of Kyiv spoke about the “persecution” of Orthodox Christians in Ukraine.
Kalinchuk claimed that “the Kyiv regime, under the influence of the West, confiscates churches and imprisons priests.” According to Kalinchuk, what is shown on the screen “is only part of the terror” against the “believers”.
Kusturica claimed that the war was “sold to the Ukrainians by the West” and asked the audience the question: “Who will take interest on the huge amount of money that has flowed in?”
The film also featured the opinion of former Ukrainian music producer Yuriy Bardash, who left Ukraine to Russia where he was granted a Russian passport.
Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia blessed the audience before the premiere screening.
However, no trailer war released on YouTube or Facebook. It is also unclear whether it is going to be screened in cinemas across Serbia.
It should be recalled that against the backdrop of the adoption by the Verkhovna Rada of the law banning p the activities of religious organizations affiliated with Russia, the Serbian Patriarch sent a letter of support to Metropolitan Onufriy of the UOC (MP).
Earlier, Serbian Patriarch agreed with Cardinal Parolin on “further strengthening of cooperation”. Antoniy (Pakanych) of the UOC (MP) stated the church would not be prohibited from running its routine operations.
