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Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Hillary Clinton-Produced Ukraine Doc ‘The Cranes Call' Gets Release on Gathr (Exclusive)
The Cranes Call, a documentary on war crimes in Ukraine directed by Laura Warner and produced by Hillary and Chelsea Clinton's HiddenLight Productions, will go out worldwide via direct-to-consumer film and event platform Gathr, the producers unveiled Monday. Warner and Hillary Clinton will present the documentary at the Cinema for Peace World Forum on Monday timed to the Gathr release. More from The Hollywood Reporter Filmart: How the China-Led "Vertical Film" Movement Wants to Upend the Way We See Cinema Hong Kong Film Fest to Open With Japan's 'The Brightest Sun,' Co-Production 'Pavane for an Infant' Anime Heavyweights Aniplex, Crunchyroll Co-Launch Production Company Hayate The doc, described as a 'real-time crime thriller set in a war zone,' follows war crimes investigator Anya Neistat and her team as they track down survivors of the Russian invasion of Ukraine who are courageous enough to stand against Russian commanders and soldiers accused of war crimes — including rape, torture and murder — against themselves and their families. Neistat is joined by Solomiia Stasiv, a young Ukrainian woman who had begun working in the field following the full-scale Russian invasion on Feb. 24, 2022. Evan Williams produced The Cranes Call, with HiddenLight's co-creative directors Siobhan Sinnerton and Amy Flanagan executive producing, together with Liev Schreiber. 'This special screening and global release of The Cranes Call could not be more timely,' Hillary Clinton said in a statement. 'The film brings to life the brutality of Vladimir Putin's aggression and the resolve of the Ukrainian people. It's a story told so richly that you will be convinced that Ukraine's fight is a fight for democracy itself, and it is therefore the fight of all freedom-loving people.' The film's release comes at a crucial moment in the war in Ukraine. U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to talk to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday as Washington pushes for a ceasefire in the region, so far without the agreement of Ukraine. Speaking of the Gathr on-demand release, Sinnerton said she was 'very happy that more people will get to see this film which documents so compellingly what the reality of the war in Ukraine is for people living there. The determination of our main characters not to let these crimes go unpunished feels more important to highlight now than at any time during the conflict.' An audience-on-demand platform, Gathr facilitates theatrical-on-demand screenings, virtual event cinemas, and other direct-to-consumer releases. The tech group has proven popular with activist and social issue documentaries, such as Stephen Maing and Brett Story's Union, which followed the efforts of a group of Amazon workers to unionize on Staten Island, New York. 'One of the biggest challenges for broadcasters is awareness and ensuring that a film stands out in a crowded landscape,' said HiddenLight CEO Johnny Webb. 'Cutting through the noise and reaching the right audience at the right time is crucial, and solutions like Gathr benefit both producer and broadcaster by building audience data, engaging viewers directly, and, most importantly, generating awareness ahead of the TV window. We're looking forward to extending the film to more buyers worldwide at this critical time.' The Cranes Call is being sold internationally, with WME representing North American rights and Sphere Abacus handling the rest of the world. British network Channel 4 commissioned the doc in association with Minderoo Pictures and Cinema for Peace. It had its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival last year. Best of The Hollywood Reporter The 10 Best Baseball Movies of All Time, Ranked 20 Times the Oscars Got It Wrong The Best Anti-Fascist Films of All Time
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Civil Liberties Report Calls Out Italy, Hungary for Media Freedom Violations
Italy's right-wing government has stepped up attacks on the freedom of the press, showing 'heavy intolerance to media criticism' and 'unprecedented levels of interference in public service media,' a coalition of civil liberties groups has said. Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties) released a report Monday calling out several European governments for what they say is a systematic 'dismantling' of democratic norms and the rule of law with regard to media freedoms. A total of 43 human rights organizations in 21 EU member states compiled the Liberties report. More from The Hollywood Reporter 'Surface' Boss on How That Season 2 Family Reveal Raises Questions About "Privilege" Hillary Clinton-Produced Ukraine Doc 'The Cranes Call' Gets Release on Gathr (Exclusive) Filmart: How the China-Led "Vertical Film" Movement Wants to Upend the Way We See Cinema Giorgia Meloni's right-wing government in Italy was singled out for particular criticism as one of five so-called 'dismantlers' of the rule of law alongside eastern European nations Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania and Slovakia. Viktor Orban's Hungary is in a class by itself, designated as an 'electoral autocracy' by Liberties researchers, who said they detected a 'significant regression' in the rule of law in the country in 2024. Italy's attack on the media is more recent, with Liberties calling out what it said were 'unprecedented levels of political interference,' at Italian public broadcaster RAI, 'heightening the risk of public service media being captured by political power.' The report points to allegations that RAI allegedly censored a planned anti-fascist monologue by prominent writer Antonio Scurati (M: Son of the Century) and called out RAI's governance and funding structures 'which currently leave the public broadcaster vulnerable to political interference.' Liberties' researchers also flagged proposals drafted in Rome the group said would give Meloni's government 'open-ended powers' to the justice ministry over prosecutors, and which would increase political control over the judiciary. 'Europe's democratic recession has deepened in 2024,' Liberties said in a statement Monday, summarizing the report's conclusions. Over more than 1,000 pages, the report details disturbing trends of political manipulation and growing corruption as well as increasing harassment of journalists and restrictions on free speech provisions. 'Without decisive action, the EU risks further democratic erosion,' the report concludes. European governments last year passed the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), intended to ensure editorial independence in European media and to enhance transparency of media ownership across the EU. But the Liberties report found, with few exceptions, that member states 'have not taken serious action' to implement EMFA into national law. The EMFA goes into full effect in August. 'The coming months may determine whether member states move toward greater press independence,' the report concludes, 'or if existing power structures remain intact.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Highest-Profile Harris Endorsements: Taylor Swift, George Clooney, Bruce Springsteen and More Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2024: Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, Olivia Rodrigo and More
