The film is built on unique archive footage Mansky shot between 1999 and 2000 . At the time, he was the head of documentaries for Russian state television and was granted "unnervingly intimate" access to film a propaganda piece for Putin’s first campaign .
: The title refers to both the public figures in the film—Yeltsin, Gorbachev, and Putin—and the director himself, who later came to view his own work as an act of complicity in creating Putin's image . 🔑 Key Themes & Scenes Putin's Witnesses
: Mansky highlights the "war room" staff from 2000, noting that most have since become political foes, fled the country, or died under suspicious circumstances . The film is built on unique archive footage
: It documents the transition from Boris Yeltsin to Putin, starting with Yeltsin’s unexpected resignation on December 31, 1999 . 🔑 Key Themes & Scenes : Mansky highlights
: Features a poignant scene where Boris Yeltsin waits by the phone on election night for a call from his successor—a call that never comes .
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