Vitaly Mansky

Vitaly Vsevolodovich Mansky (, ; born 2 December 1963 in Lviv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union ) is a Ukraine-born Russian and Latvian documentary film director. He is the founder of a festival of documentary movies, ArtDocFest and has resided in Riga since 2014. Artdocfest has since collaborated with the Riga International Film Festival.

Political Stances

In March 2014, Mansky signed an open letter in solidarity with Ukrainian filmmakers following the Russian annexation of Crimea.

In 2018, he supported the European Film Academy's appeal in defense of Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov, who was imprisoned in Russia.

In December 2020, Mansky went for a solitary manifestation outside the Federal Security Service building at the Lubyanka Square, holding men's underpants. The manifestation took place after the publication of opposition leader Alexei Navalny's conversation with his alleged poisoner. He was arrested for employing "visual means of propaganda and agitation".

In February 2022, Mansky spoke out against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In April the same year, he expressed his anti-war views at a rally in Riga. As a result of his views, the Russian Interior Ministry added him to their wanted list in September 2022 for slander, following a request by cinematographer Nikita Mikhalkov. On June 16, 2023, Russian Ministry of Justice included Mansky in its "foreign agents" list.

Selected filmography

Vladimir & Oksana in Love Country (2022, TV series) Gorbachev. Heaven (2020) Putin's Witnesses (Свидетели Путина, Putina liecinieki, Svědkové Putinovi) 2018 (Close Relations) 2016 Under the Sun (В лучах солнца; V paprscích slunce) 2015 Pipeline (Tруба; Die Trasse) 2013 Patria o Muerte / Motherland or Death 2011 Gagarin's Pioneers (Our Motherland) 2006 Anatomiya TATU (Anatomy of t.A.T.u.) 2003 Etyudy o Lyubvi (1994) Srezki Ocherednoy Voyny (1993) Yevreyskoe Schaste (1991)