Two men try to find those responsible for a hate crime in Credit for Murder. In 2007, a video of two immigrant men being murdered by Neo-Nazis surfaces online, becoming Russia’s most infamous unsolved hate crime. Determined to find out who is responsible for this horrible act, Israeli filmmaker Vladi Antonevicz goes undercover and infiltrates Russia’s Neo-Nazi organizations and pieces together the timeline of the events leading towards and after the crime.
Credit for Murder is a documentary, stylized like a thriller, which focuses on filmmaker Vladi Antonevicz’ investigation of this infamous hate crime. At the centre of this case is a video posted on YouTube, which shows a young man being beheaded by masked Neo-Nazis. Credit for Murder starts off by showing various reactions to this snuff film and even shows portions of it, including a very brief graphic shot of the victim’s severed head. This documentary indeed has a very shocking and intriguing subject matter.
It can be said that Credit for Murder is a documentary with a great subject matter, but not so great execution. Vladi Antonevicz breaks down the apparent conspiracy surrounding this unsolved crime, identifying the parties involved and creating a timeline to determine when this murder was committed and make an educated guess who did it. Sadly, the film is a bit too procedural at times and doesn’t really find any clear answers to this crime. While the actions of these Russian Neo-Nazi groups is indeed shocking, Credit for Murder doesn’t really provide more than a glimpse behind the curtain.
WATCHABLE Screenings:
- Friday, April 29, 6:30 PM – Isabel Bader Theatre
- Saturday, April 30, 12:30 PM – Hart House Theatre
- Saturday, May 7, 8:45 PM – Revue Cinema