Since I filmed Fedor, along with our DP, before and after these controversial scenes, which some have said were "staged Western propaganda," I'd like to put my professional reputation behind the statement that these scenes were NOT staged.
*SPOILER ALERT* One thing that became clear to me and the entire team from the beginning was that Fedor was a caged tiger. At times he was very difficult to work with and always restless, but the thing we admired about him was his unrelenting pursuit of his idea — which is why we were surprised when he turned on us and the film. Both Chad and I were there during that tense time, and Fedor was continuously fighting with us and backtracking. He still trusted his close friend and fellow Ukrainian, Artem. So we needed to film Fedor with secret cameras because we could not understand what was happening (at one point Feedor attacked me for bringing out my camera, so we knew something serious was going on). It was not an easy decision, but by using hidden cameras, we were finally able to discover the reason why Fedor no longer wanted to investigate his theory. At that point, we decided to stop filming so that Fedor could feel safe again.
Fedor never knew we filmed him with secret cameras or that those scenes existed. Chad eventually told him a few nights before the premiere at Sundance Film Festival, and the screening was the first time Fedor saw this controversial footage. Obviously, we were all nervous by what Fedor might say or do on stage when he saw it. But, he was fine with it since he felt the documentary was an honest and beautifully cinematic telling of his journey.
Fedor's theory sounds fantastical and even crazy, but in my opinion the film is more about how an individual can lose his way when a society disintegrates into violence and fear. These controversial scenes gives an important glimpse into just that state of mind. -- Ram Devineni, Co-Producer
*SPOILER ALERT* One thing that became clear to me and the entire team from the beginning was that Fedor was a caged tiger. At times he was very difficult to work with and always restless, but the thing we admired about him was his unrelenting pursuit of his idea — which is why we were surprised when he turned on us and the film. Both Chad and I were there during that tense time, and Fedor was continuously fighting with us and backtracking. He still trusted his close friend and fellow Ukrainian, Artem. So we needed to film Fedor with secret cameras because we could not understand what was happening (at one point Feedor attacked me for bringing out my camera, so we knew something serious was going on). It was not an easy decision, but by using hidden cameras, we were finally able to discover the reason why Fedor no longer wanted to investigate his theory. At that point, we decided to stop filming so that Fedor could feel safe again.
Fedor never knew we filmed him with secret cameras or that those scenes existed. Chad eventually told him a few nights before the premiere at Sundance Film Festival, and the screening was the first time Fedor saw this controversial footage. Obviously, we were all nervous by what Fedor might say or do on stage when he saw it. But, he was fine with it since he felt the documentary was an honest and beautifully cinematic telling of his journey.
Fedor's theory sounds fantastical and even crazy, but in my opinion the film is more about how an individual can lose his way when a society disintegrates into violence and fear. These controversial scenes gives an important glimpse into just that state of mind. -- Ram Devineni, Co-Producer