Review: Patriot: A Memoir

Navalny's last words for everyone to read

When Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny was seriously poisoned in August 2020 and recovered in Germany for several months, many warned him not to return to Russia, for fear he could be jailed for a long time.

But Navalny was determined and returned to Russia on January 17, 2021, and despite tens of journalists recording his every move in the airport, he was promptly detained at passport control for violating his parole conditions when he was in Germany recovering.

Why did he go back, knowing this could happen? He explains why in his memoir, Patriot, published posthumously in 2024. His wife Yulia and the Estate of Alexei Navalny own the copyright of the book, which was translated from Russian.

Navalny and his wife Yulia

The memoir spans 479 pages, and Navalny explains in his own words his childhood growing up in a military town near Obninsk, where the first Soviet nuclear reactor was built. He was nine years old when the nuclear power plant at Chernobyl exploded, and his family knew the government was hiding the truth and tried to force the residents there to continue with their daily lives.

Eventually these people were evacuated and dispersed wherever there was accommodation.

To Navalny, the Chernobyl disaster and how it was handled left a very strong impression on him.

"The question most puzzling even to my ten-year-old self was why the authorities were lying like this when everybody around me knew the truth. What kind of pathetic attempt at deception was this? If you are going to lie, you should at least be expecting to benefit from it in some way. You claim to be sick and you don't have to go school; that at least makes sense. But what was the point of these lies? Describing the way the Soviet Union worked, Vasily Shukshin, a Russian writer, memorably said, "Lies, lies, lies... Lies as redemption, lies as atonement for guilt, lies a goal achieved, lies as a career, as prosperity, as medals, as an apartment... Lies! The whole of Russia was covered in lies, like scab." An excellent description of the situation."

At that age Navalny not only knew what was happening, but also thought what the state was doing was wrong and decided to do something about it.

His father was from Ukraine, his mother from northern Russia. Navalny says: "Quizzed for the umpteenth time as to whether I was Ukrainian or Russian, I did my best to avoid a straight answer. It was like being asked whom you loved more, your mother or your father, to which no sensible answer is possible."

Navalny says early on it was his family who taught him to love his country -- not the state. "There was never any talk about whether we ought to emigrate, and I can imagine no circumstances in which there might have been. How could you emigrate when your country is here, when the language you speak is here, and Russians are the world's most wonderful people? A good people with a bad state."

Navalny talks about life in his teen years and deciding he wanted to study law, these were the options for university that his friend jokingly described:

Navalny in prison

1. The law faculty of Moscow State University, which the whole of Moscow was fighting to get into;

2. The law faculty of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, where admission was restricted to string-pulling KGB families and other Soviet elites;

3. The People's Friendship University of Russia, whose students came mainly from Africa or were future KGB agents assigned to spy on those students.

He became a lawyer and after Vladimir Putin came to power, Navalny joined opposition parties, even those on the far right. His legal knowledge would become very helpful, particularly when he became an activist shareholder and disrupted meetings when he asked company officials embarrassing questions on expenditures with the media present.

It seems it was love at first sight when he spotted Yulia during a business trip in Turkey. They got on so well that they moved in together six months after meeting, married two years later. From his admiration of her, it seems they are completely in tune with each other.

Navalny explains how opposition parties operated, and got involved in politics from the grassroots level, and gathered support as he exposed the corruption in their areas. The number of views of his videos reached millions.

To him, the embezzlement of money hindered people's social and economic mobility, as well as the economic development of the country. He has shown through reports and videos the billions of dollars that senior Russian officials took and were used to buy property overseas, or build extravagant villas in the country, while ordinary people are struggling to make ends meet or battling bureaucracy on a daily basis.

He makes a heart symbol to Yulia in the dock

"If you were to ask me whether I hate Vladimir Putin, my answer would be, yes, I hate him, but not because he tried to kill me or put my brother in prison. I hate Putin because he has stolen the last twenty years from Russia. These could have been incredible years, the sort of period that we've never had in our history. We had no enemies. We had peace on all our borders. The price of oil, gas, and our other natural resources was incredibly high. We earned huge amounts from our exports. Putin could have used these years to turn Russia into a prosperous country. All of us could have lived better.

"Instead twenty million people live below the poverty line. Part of the money Putin and his cronies simply stole; part of it was squandered. They did nothing good for our country, and that is their worst crime against our children and the country's future."

The last third of the book Navalny details his life in prison from February 2021 until 2024 [he died February 2024] in diary form. He gives detailed insight into what it is like to live behind bars, how he is treated, and how prison officials try to break his spirit with increasingly terrible conditions, or preventing him from seeing his lawyers and family members. Physically it is trying for his body, but Navalny believes others have it worse than him.

For a long time his family can help him buy food, and he is able to make coffee in his cell, and eat salad and bread; one fan sends him a cake. He can also order books and amasses a big collection. Oh and he received a lot of fan mail in prison, and dutifully replies to each of them.

Near the beginning of the book, Navalny mentions Daniel Roher, the director who filmed the documentary Navalny, and towards the end of the tome, his lawyer shouts to him on a video link that the film won Best Documentary Feature at the 95th Academy Awards.

"I had a very strange feeling at that moment. It was as if those words didn't belong in this world, but, on the other hand, everything here is so weird and crazy that this world is the only one they belong in." 

Yulia spoke at the Academy Awards

He goes on to thank everyone involved in the documentary, in particular Christo Grozev, the Bellingcat investigative reporter who investigated Navalny's poisoning.

On his birthday, June 4, 2023, Navalny writes how the prison psychologist is amazed that he is mentally fit despite all the torturous conditions he has encountered. His take:

"Let's face it, of course I wish I didn't have to wake up in this hellhole and could instead have breakfast with my family, receive kisses on the cheek from my children, unwrap presents, and say, "Wow, this is exactly what I dreamed of!" But life works in such a way that social progress and a better future can only be achieved if a certain number of people are willing to pay the price for their right to have their own beliefs. The more of them there are, the less everyone has to pay. And the day will come when speaking the truth and advocating for justice will be commonplace and not dangerous in Russia."

He says this many times, how he strongly believes in having convictions, that there needs to be free elections, a fair legal system and no censorship.

But will Russia change? With Navalny gone, who will continue fighting for ordinary Russians?

Some may describe Navalny as stubborn, an idealist, a fighter. 

But above all, he is a patriot, who loves his country and only wants to see it in a better place.

Some Well Deserved Oscar Wins

Borenstein (white suit) and Talankin with their Oscars

Happy with the results of the Academy Awards?

I did not watch the whole thing, but thrilled, ecstatic, excited that the films I did watch, won Oscars:

Jessie Buckley for Best Actress in Hamnet.

Buckley was the favourite to win

Her guttural scream in a pivotal point in the film was so primal and intense, viewers could not help but feel her immense pain of losing her child.

Buckley said in a podcast that after making the film, she was desperate to get pregnant! Now she has an eight-month old baby girl and in her acceptance speech said she loved being her mother.

"It's Mother's Day in the UK today, so I would like to dedicate this to the beautiful chaos of a mother's heart. We all come from a lineage of women who continue to create against all odds," she said.

All The Empty Rooms for Best Documentary Short

It's a haunting documentary, seeing the empty bedrooms of children who were killed in school shootings. Not only is it commendable for journalist Steve Hartman and photographer Lou Bopp to visit these grieving families, but also record these children's rooms to prove they existed, they were loved, they had lives with hopes and dreams.

Cazares was so brave to speak out on stage

When the filmmakers went up to accept the Oscar, one of the mothers, Gloria Cazares spoke on stage. Her daughter died in the Uvalde shooting in May 2022.

"My daughter, Jackie, was nine years old when she was killed in Uvalde. Since that day, her bedroom has been frozen in time," Cazares said.

"Jackie is more than just a headline. She is our light and our life. Gun violence is now the number one cause of death in kids and teens. We believe that if the world could see their empty bedrooms, it would be a different America."

Mr Nobody Against Putin for Best Documentary Feature

In accepting the golden statuette, co-director David Borenstein warned the audience what authoritarianism is.

"Mr Nobody Against Putin is about how you lose your country," he said. "And what we saw when working with this footage is that you lose it through countless, small, little acts of complicity.

Talankin (on floor) urged for wars to stop now

"When a government murders people on the streets of our major cities, when we don't say anything, when oligarchs take over the media and control how we could produce it and consume it -- we all face a moral choice. But luckily, even a nobody is more powerful than you think."

He then introduced the star of the documentary, Pavel Talankin to speak through a Russian translator.

"For four years, we looked at the sky, for a shooting star to make an important wish. But there are countries where instead of stars they have shooting bombs and shooting drones. In the name of the future, in the name of all of our children, stop all of these wars now," said Talankin, who is now in exile in Europe.

Afterwards when Borenstein spoke to the media, he made another warning:

"One interesting thing about working with a team of Russians throughout this process has been my desire as an American to constantly compare the situation in America to Russia," he said.

"But a lot of my Russian colleagues and friends always said, 'No, no, it's not the same situation. It's actually happening quicker in America than it's been happening in Russia,' Trump is moving a lot quicker than Putin in his early years."

The Girl Who Cried Pearls for Best Animation Short

Well deserved award for Szcerbowski and Lavis

This 17-minute film was absolutely stunning in terms of its fantastic story and execution. The story isn't so simple and makes viewers think about it afterwards.

Co-directors Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski make their acceptance speech short and sweet.

"We just really want to thank our amazing neighbourhood and the amazingly talented community of artists that we've had the superb luck to work with," Szczerbowski said. "Thank you to the fantastic city of Montreal. Thank you, Canada."

"Canada!" Lavis chimed in, as they raised their Oscars.

They gave a shoutout to composer Patrick Watson and actor Colm Feore who narrated the film.

Big congratulations to all the winners and nominees! 

Review: Mr. Nobody Against Putin

Talankin is inadvertently forced to take a stand on the war

It's hard to know what is really happening in Russia, with President Vladimir Putin in firm control.

But the Oscar-nominated documentary Mr. Nobody Against Putin gives a peek inside that is courageous, frightening and damning.

"Pasha" Talankin lives in Karabash, east of Moscow and the town is known for having the most polluted air on the planet thanks to the copper refinery, the major industry there.

Students begin singing patriotic songs

Talankin is the events coordinator in a primary school, and his job is to film things that happen there. It is also the school he went to, and feels most at home here, describing himself as a loner. Nevertheless some of the students like him and hang out with him as they get into their teens.

His wry remarks make him easily likeable to the viewer, but things change in February 2022 when Putin announces a special military operation -- in Ukraine.

Suddenly things at the school start to change and Talankin is ordered by the government to film teachers lecturing the students to justify the war in historical terms, and the students marching with the Russian flag, singing patriotic songs, and then uploading the footage to a government website.

This is not what he signed up for and not only is he overwhelmed with having to film so much propaganda, but Talankin himself wonders how he can protest against the war. He watches news clips of protesters being beaten and dragged by the police and concedes he isn't brave enough to do that.

A boy checking out an old rifle

Meanwhile viewers watch the students evolve from being excited to being at school to being bored out of their minds listening to what teachers are forced to tell them, their eyes glaze over. In the beginning they wear white blouses and skirts or shirts with pants, and towards the end are in army fatigues. 

One scene shows members of the Wagner Group at the school passing around a mine to students look at, and casually saying if they go near one that explodes, it will take out their leg; there are grenade throwing competitions, and most chilling is a boy holding an old rifle and aiming it at Talankin as he films him.

Eventually some of Talankin's former students are conscripted, or people at the school know of someone who had to become soldiers. Viewers feel on edge wondering what happened to them.

They also wonder what will happen to Talankin, as Putin declares in 2023 that anyone opposed to the Ukraine occupation would be guilty of treason. Talankin does rebel outwardly, resulting in some of his colleagues strongly disagreeing with him, and eventually students and colleagues are afraid to be associated with him.

One of the teachers marching with students

Mr. Nobody Against Putin was not shot expertly, and it is not meant to be, because all his clips were just for the school's records. But because Talankin had so much filming to do, another videographer was recruited, and that's where there are scenes with him hanging out with students, or of him walking around the school.

He amassed two years' worth of video footage that he and co-director David Borenstein sifted through and put together. The documentary is a brave and harrowing account of what it's like living in a small town, and how one man tried hard to push back in his own way.

Mr. Nobody Against Putin

Co-directed by Pasha Talankin and David Borenstein

90 minutes

Red Hot Canadian Tennis Talent

Fernandez (left) and Williams (right) are playing well together

Team Canada is flaming hot this year at the US Open. 

Montrealer Leylah Fernandez's profile has bumped up exponentially since she had Venus Williams as her doubles partner and the pair -- who only started playing together last week -- are now in the quarter-finals.

The wildcard pair have made the quarter finals

They were a wild card entry, with Fernandez at 22-years-old, and Williams at 45.

Today they defeated 12th-seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova and Zhang Shuai 6-3, 6-4 handily in one hour and 14 minutes.

"We're on the same wavelength and hopefully we can keep it going," said Williams.

"I have full confidence in Venus, and I hope she has full confidence in me during our match," Fernandez said. "We're just going out there, playing our game: Be offensive, aggressive and ready for the ball."

The pair are even getting coaching tips from Serena Williams, and sister Venus suggested on a live interview that it was time for Serena "to show up."

Auger-Aliassime beat Rublev to get into quarters

Then on the Canadian men's side, fellow Montrealer Felix Auger-Aliassime beat Andrey Rublev 7-5, 6-3, 6-4. On Saturday Rublev abruptly ended Hongkonger Coleman Wong Chak-lam's fairytale run at the US Open.

"[Monday] is my first time playing on Arthur Ashe in a few years, and I think it feels even better than the first time," said Auger-Aliassime, referring to the 2021 US Open semis. 

"At 21, I was on my way up. I had a few setbacks, injuries, struggles with confidence. Then to come back the second time in the quarterfinals here, it feels much better, more deserved."

It's been exciting watching Fernandez and Auger-Aliassime play awesome tennis and get the recognition they deserve. The future is bright for tennis in Canada!

Wong's Fairytale Run at the US Open Comes to an End

Wong has proved to himself he can play against top players

Coleman Wong Chak-lam's run at the US Open sadly came to an end today, but not without putting up a fight against world No. 15 Russian Andrey Rublev in a five-set thriller, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 on the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre's Grandstand court.

The match, which lasted more than three hours, saw Wong take the first and fourth sets, and serve a total of 25 aces. The 21-year-old is pleased with how he has improved significantly.

Rublev (left) said Wong played with no fear

"I'm getting closer, and I've proved to myself that I can do it," Wong said of wanting to break into the top 100. "I need to keep believing. I can see that I have the potential and I can scare the big guys.

"I believe in myself more now. I was still in Challengers, and now I'm in the US Open third round, almost beating a tough top 20 player, going five sets with them. It means I'm capable of pushing them all the way."

Rublev was gracious towards his Hong Kong opponent, ranked No. 173.

"It was a tough match, he played really well," said Rublev on the court afterwards. "He played aggressively and with no fear, it was tough. I didn't start well, he was all over me and I needed to fight for every ball to turn it around.

"He was fighting until the end in the last game. I'm happy I was able to win and get to the next round."

Indeed. Rublev will be facing Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, who stunned world No. 3 Alexander Zverev 4-6, 7-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Wong hopes to break into the top 100 rankings

In the meantime, Wong will return to Hong Kong to play in a Davis Cup match against Uzbekistan next month.

He'll probably have a hero's welcome back and a lot of Hongkongers excited to watch him play. We've got Olympic swimmer Siobhan Haughey, fencer Edgar Cheung Ka-long, and now tennis phenom Wong.

Wong has put Hong Kong on the map in tennis and definitely one to watch!

Tennis Phenom Coleman Wong Blazing Trails in US Open

Wong is enjoying his ride into the third round of the US Open

The US Open has started and already Canadian sensation Victoria Mboko was eliminated in the first round.

But there's another dark horse to cheer for -- 21-year-old Coleman Wong Chak-lam.

The Hongkonger has made history not only to qualify for the US Open, but to also to be the first to make it to the third round!

Bruce Wong (far left) is so proud of his son

Earlier today the world No. 173 Wong upset No. 85-ranked Australian Adam Walton 7-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 in three hours.

There were huge cheers for Wong when the match ended, and he looked in disbelief that he has made it this far.

"I'm swinging it, I'm feeling good," Wong said with a big smile. "This is my first main draw, first best of five, first everything. For me, for Hong Kong, for my team, everything is very new, so, no pressure.

"This is something that I dreamed of. For every tennis player, to keep going in a slam, it's one of the biggest tournaments in the world. So, at the moment, I'm still digesting, I still need to calm down, but I'm really happy."

After the match he used his coach's phone to call his parents to come to New York to watch him play this weekend. His father Bruce is a primary school headmaster, and his wife a teacher, both busy gearing up for the school year that starts on Monday.

Wong will meet No. 15 Rublev in the next match

Bruce Wong told RTHK he didn't have high expectations for his son, but him making it into the third round has made the family proud.

"It was really unbelievable for most of the Hong Kong people, like myself. Of course we're very happy, not only because of the result but the performance," the father said.

"In these few months, there were so many ups and downs, a lot of struggles. We're so happy we can see some good results at this moment."

Wong, who trains at Rafael Nadal's tennis academy in Mallorca, Spain, will next meet Russian Andrey Rublev, ranked No. 15.

"For me, I just want to go out there, enjoy, and I'm in the third round of the US Open, so I don't need to think so much," Wong said. "I just want to go out, enjoy the atmosphere, feel the vibe, and... stay as long as I can, because this is tough. Everyone is so good, everyone is so tough to play, so this means a lot to me."

Wong has an awesome attitude about being in this major tennis tournament -- relishing every moment, and trying not to put too much pressure on himself. He is the underdog, but at the same time totally blazing trails and giving Hongkongers someone to be proud of on the world stage.

Russian Pianist Wows Vancouver Crowd

The stage was set for Kissin to perform at the Chan Centre

Tonight the crowd at The Chan Centre for Performing Arts at the University of British Columbia were treated to not one, not two, but three encores after an exceptional performance by Russian-Jewish pianist Evgeny Kissin.

This is not his first time performing in Vancouver. Apparently his first concert here was at the Orpheum and it was sold out. 

I wasn't familiar with Kissin, 53, but a quick online search revealed the Muscovite was recognised as a child prodigy at the age of six and made his professional debut at the age of 10. 

He made his overseas debut in 1985 in Eastern Europe, and performed in Japan a year later.

Kissin soaking in the adoration

Kissin is also a composer and enjoys reciting poetry, both Russian and Yiddish poems.

When the war in Ukraine broke out in 2022, he and other Russian artists signed a letter against the invasion and even composed a piano trio in response to the invasion that Kissin premiered in Amsterdam in October 2022. 

Needless to say, two years later the Russian government declared Kissin a foreign agent. 

He lives in Prague with his wife. During the concert this evening, the crowd was rapt watching Kissin play the piano which was hardly shiny and new -- he specifically chose to play a piano from the music department at UBC. It has seen better days, the black lacquer rubbed off in many areas revealing its wear and tear.

But Kissin gave the instrument a lot of love -- he wasn't interested in sleek-looking pianos and theatrics, just pure joy in performing. And the audience loved him back, jumping to their feet and clapping practically non stop. Perhaps that's why he was easily swayed into giving the crowd three encores!

Every time he bowed, he made a point of looking up at the audience, soaking in the admiration. 

Performing could be his form of resistance and we should appreciate his courage too.

Partita No. 2 in C minor BWV 826 by Johann Sebastian Bach 

Sinfonia

Allemande

Courante

Sarabande

Rondeau

Capriccio

Nocturne in C# minor Op. 27 No. 1 by Frederic Chopin

Nocturne in A-flat major Op. 32 No. 2 by Frederic Chopin

Scherzo No. 4 in E major Op. 54 by Frederic Chopin

Piano Sonata No. 2 in B minor Op. 61 by Dmitri Shostakovich

Allegretto

Largo

Moderato

Adagio

Preludes and Fugues Op. 87 by Dmitri Shostakovich

No. 15 in D-flat major

Preludes and Fugues Op. 87 by Dmitri Shostakovich

No. 24 in D minor

China Caught in Massive Tariff Showdown

Trump said people were getting "yippy" in tariffs reversal

This morning over dim sum all the chatter was over US President Donald Trump imposing 104 percent tariffs on China.

About an hour later we saw stocks that were blood red were suddenly in the green -- Trump had reversed course and dropped worldwide tariffs down to 10 percent and 90 day pause -- except for China, which he imposed a jaw-dropping 125 percent.

Canada and Mexico still face 25 percent tariffs on cars, steel and aluminium.

Leavitt adamant tariff U-turn was art of the deal

The S&P 500 shot up more than 9 percent, but still not back "to normal". 

Trump gave in after massive selling on the bond markets, which are supposed to be a place of refuge for shell-shocked investors. Instead they were worried a recession was coming, if not here already.

"Over the last few days it looked pretty glum," Trump said. "I thought that people were jumping a little bit out of line. They were getting yippy. They were getting a little bit afraid."

His spokesperson Karoline Leavitt insisted to the media the move was part of the plan all along.

"Many of you in the media clearly missed The Art of the Deal," she said referring to Trump's book on negotiating. "You clearly failed to see what President Trump is doing here. You tried to say that the rest of the world would be moved closer to China, when in fact we've seen the opposite effect."

As for the 125 percent tariffs, Trump is expecting Xi to call him to negotiate... 

Talk about pushing to the limit. But China may not back down, and it's strong enough not to. Perhaps this is Beijing's way to call Trump's bluff?

One of the Chinese captured in Ukraine

Another story that grabbed headlines was Chinese citizens fighting in Ukraine for Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky stated two were captured and showed a video of them being interrogated. They had Chinese identification and bank cards.

The Ukrainian leader later claimed there were over 150 such Chinese citizens who were recruited by Russia to fight; unlike the North Korean soldiers, they were not officially sent there by Beijing.

Nevertheless, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said Bejing was "verifying the relevant situation", but dismissed the suggestion that more Chinese citizens were participating in the war. 

Officially Beijing has claimed to be neutral and pushing for peace, but has diplomatically and financially backed Moscow by buying large quantities of oil. 

Zelensky claimed Russia recruited the Chinese citizens via social media, and it was a sign that Russian President Vladimir Putin was not interested in peace.

"Ukraine believes that such blatant involvement of Chinese citizens in hostilities on the territory of Ukraine during the war of aggression is a deliberate step toward the expansion of the war, and is yet another indication that Moscow simply needs to drag out the fighting," Zelensky said.

Tremors this Morning and Post-Oscars Thoughts

A 4.1 magnitude quake shook just after 5am

For some reason I woke up at around 4.40am and could not get back to sleep. At 5.02am I heard a muffled deep thump and felt some shaking! Another earthquake that was measured at 4.1 on the Richter scale, 42km east of Sidney, BC.

Again I was annoyed to find there was no public alert about it, but that's because it was below magnitude 5.0. So I turned to social media posting about my experience and others replied they had felt it too. 

Needless to say I couldn't really get back to sleep after that!

Anora swept five awards last night

Last night I caught the last part of the Oscars to see Adrien Brody win Best Actor for The Brutalist, and watch Anora sweep for Best Director, Sean Baker, Mikey Madison for Best Actress, and Best Picture.

Anora is about an exotic dancer who marries the son of a Russian oligarch, and when his parents find out, they are outraged to say the least.

Baker's wife, Vancouverite Samantha Quan had a great quote of the evening: "We made this film with very little money but all of our hearts," she said. "To all of the dreamers and the young filmmakers out there: tell the stories you want to tell. Tell the stories that move you. I promise you, you will never regret it."

It seems like indie films got big recognition by the Academy this year, not just Anora, but also the Best Documentary Feature No Other Land, which barely had any distribution in the United States because it was about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict before October 7, and Best Animated Feature, Flow, made in Latvia.

Flow features various animals on a boat

Flow was the only film I'd seen of all the Oscar contenders! But was very pleased to see this one win, beating out Disney's Inside Out 2 and The Wild Robot, Memoir of a Snail, and Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.

The Latvian animation is universal -- there's no dialogue except for the animals making their meows, barks and chirps. The story, about a group of animals surviving a post-apocalyptic world on a boat is beautifully told with a lot of imagination with a touch of humour, making it fantastic viewing for all ages.

"We are all on the same boat and we must find ways to overcome our differences and work together," said Flow director Gints Zilbalodis.

Indeed. 

Trump and Vance's Public Spat with Zelensky

Zelensky (left) with Trump and Vance berating him publicly

Appalled. Embarrassed. Outraged. Insane.

How do you describe what happened in the Oval Office today when Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky was berated by US President Donald Trump and Vice-President JD Vance?

Zelensky was set up to come to Washington for a dressing down which pleased Russian President Vladimir Putin to no end.

Trump and Vance raised their voices, trying to strong arm Zelensky into begging for help in front of the cameras.

But Zelensky held his ground -- we have a deal only if you can promise security for Ukraine.

Instead Trump and Vance tried to denounce the Ukrainian, claiming he was not respectful, and that he should thank them.

At one point Zelensky said that some day the US could be threatened by Russia. "You have a nice ocean and don't feel now, but you will feel it in the future," he said.

Badiucao's cartoon: "I am not playing cards"

Trump got angry and cut Zelensky off. "Don't tell us what we're going to feel," he said, raising his voice. "You're not in a good position. You don't have the cards right now."

"I'm not playing cards," Zelensky said calmly. "I'm very serious, Mr President. I'm the president in a war."

Then Trump said, "You're gambling with World War III. And what you're doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country, that's backed you far more than a lot of people said they should have."

Vance chimed in. "Have you said 'thank you' once this entire meeting? No."

It was two schoolyard bullies against a guest. How diplomatic.

A reporter even had the gall to ask why Zelensky didn't show up in a suit. The Ukrainian president is at war. How about asking Elon Musk the same question?

Sitting next to Vance was Secretary of State Marco Rubio looking like he wanted to sink into the couch and disappear.

But he later backed Trump on social media: "Thank you @POTUS for standing up for America in a way that no President has ever had the courage to do before."

Others gave similar praise, perhaps terrified of the consequences if they didn't stand with Trump.

Meanwhile a lot of Americans on social media apologised to Zelensky or voiced their shock and utter embarrassment of what happened, and that they stood with Ukraine.

Trump's abrupt about turn is breathtaking and shocking, but he has done it.

As Trump has unified Canada over the threat of tariffs, he has now united the EU to provide more support to Ukraine.

There's going to be more people and companies around the world who will boycott the US. It's in a desperate need of eggs now because of bird flu, with a dozen eggs costing over US$7 for a dozen. The US is looking to import eggs to fulfill demand, but if Trump wants to play hardball, then he'll have to pay more for imported goods, starting with eggs.

Where is Navalny's Body?

Navalny is being remembered for his activism

People are mourning the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny around the world. Those in Russia are gathering and laying flowers but face the risk of being arrested. The 47-year-old who died in a penal colony in the Arctic circle will not be forgotten.

However, his body cannot be found, nor the cause of death.

His mother Lyudmila Navalnaya, together with members of Navalny's team made the trek to the town of Kharp, 1,900 kilometres northeast of Moscow where he died, but his body was not in the prison.

Lyudmila is escorted by Navalny's lawyer

They were told to go to the morgue in a nearby city of Salekhard, about over an hour's drive from Kharp.

But alas the morgue was closed. Navalny's lawyer called the morgue and was told his body was not there either.

She then went to Salekhard's Investigative Committee office, where she was told the exact cause of her son's death was not clear, and Lyudmila could not receive the body until an examination was completed.

"It is obvious that they are lying and doing everything they can to avoid handing over the body," said Kira Yarmysh, Navalny's spokesperson. She added Navalny's team "demand that Alexei Navalny's body be handed over to his family immediately."

It feels eerie similar to what happened to Nobel Laureate Liu Xiaobo after he died in 2017 of liver cancer. A funeral was hastily arranged with his wife and family in attendance though they were heavily surveilled. Then his body was cremated and his ashes were scattered at sea, apparently by the family's request.

Will Navalny's body turn up eventually? A grieving mother should not have to look for her son...

Remembering Navalny's Words

Navalny leaves a message for Russians in 2022 documentary

If Russian state media is to be believed, then Vladimir Putin's fiercest critic, Aleksei Navalny is dead at 47.

He was imprisoned in a penal colony in the Russian Arctic circle when Navalny apparently took a walk and collapsed; prison officials said they could not revive him.

Even Navalny's wife Yulia Navalnaya was not sure whether to believe the news or not, but made an impromptu statement in Munich, saying Putin's government would be "brought to justice".

While Navalny's spirit to keep fighting was still strong, perhaps his body could not physically continue. It's a shocking end to Putin's formidable opponent, who had survived an assassination attempt and numerous stints in jail. 

The Academy Award-winning documentary Navalny will surely be revived in theatres and in the film we are reminded of his message to the Russian people.

"If they decide to kill me, it means that we are incredibly strong. We need to utlize this power to not give up... We don't realise how strong we are. The only thing for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing. So don't be inactive."

Another leading Russian opposition activist and former oil tycoon is Mikhail B Khodorkovsky, who spent 10 years in prison. He says Putin's adversaries now need to unite and harness Navalny's legacy. Navalny's death, he said, showed that rather than consolidate around a single leader, Putin opponents needed to form a coalition to fight against the Kremlin.

"A coalition as a system is far more stable," Khodorkovsky said. "If one person goes, others will remain and new people will appear."

The fight continues...

VIFF Review: Pianoforte

The film follows pianists competing in the Chopin competition

Yesterday I watched another documentary as part of the Vancouver International Film Festival, called Pianoforte, which follows several pianists vying to win the International Chopin Piano Competition. Needless to say it's stressful to watch the competitors deal with the immense pressure.

The competition started in 1927 and from 1955 is held every five years. The 2020 competition was postponed for a year because of the pandemic, and that is the one that was filmed in Pianoforte. There are some 160 competitors, that gets knocked down to 80, then 40, then eventually down to the final 12. Four runner-ups are announced before the winner.

The director Jakub Piatek approached the organisers of the competition in 2019 about doing the documentary and they were interested. He admits not knowing much about classical music, which he says allowed him to ask a lot of questions that would inform the viewers of what was going on.

(left) Gadjiev and Armellini are good friends

But it seemed most of the audience who watched the film yesterday had a musical background. When the venue manager introduced the film and said "Chop-in", many people snickered and a man said, "It's show-pan" and the manager giggled and had a good laugh.

Piatek interviewed 40 competitors in video calls, and then met them in person when they had to perform in the preliminary round in Warsaw, Poland, and that helped them narrow down the pool to about six or seven pianists. Some were knocked out in successive rounds, and so in the film there are only quick clips of them packing up their suitcases despite having filmed their back story in their respective home countries.

Because of the pandemic, Piatek had to rely on finding film crews in places like China, Japan, Russia, Italy and Poland.

The final group of people they followed were diverse in race, outlook, and approach to the competition. Italian-Slovenian Alexander Gadjiev seems a bit older than everyone else with graying long hair, only wears shirts, and slacks, and practices his own kind of meditation that involves moving his wrists in circles.

Hao with his teacher Li and director Piatek

Leonora Armellini of Italy has long chestnut brown hair, and hangs out with Gadjiev. They give the appearance of slackers, filmed in bars drinking alcohol and chatting with strangers, but the judges could see their passion for Chopin. 

Hao Rao is a 16-year-old from Jishou, in Hunan province, China. He is accompanied by his piano teacher, Vivian Li. She is very encouraging, but constantly telling him to practice and he dutifully obeys. There is a striking scene of him at home in a small apartment. He plays the piano while his mother cooks nearby, and his father watches him from behind. They politely listen, but probably have no understanding of the talent their son has.

His mother pulls out a binder filled with the train tickets they have taken to lesson and competitions. He travels 16 hours to Guangzhou for his lessons which is quite the feat -- and proves his love of music. Li later admits that her teacher had primed her for this Chopin competition, but when it came down to it, she chickened out, claiming she was not ambitious enough.

Hao contrasts with a young Russian teen about the same age as him whose teacher is very tough on her, a woman in her 60s who came from the Soviet-era of piano training. The teen, who has very long hair, is caught between focusing on her playing and being belittled by her teacher.

This Russian teen believes she is talented... or not?

Another Italian pianist is brutally honest about how stressful the competition is, and says she has nightmares of zombies invading her village and she has to kill them all, but that's easier than playing in this competition. 

A Polish pianist even uses his smartphone to film himself playing because he knows the cameras are going to film him at the piano and so he wants to know what he looks like...

It's these small scenes that reveal the stress, the relationships between the pianists and their parents or teachers, the humour and the passion. Pianoforte does not focus too much on the playing because really, who are we to judge? We can see their agony and dread, elation and relief on their faces, and that's all we really need to know.

If you follow the competition, you will know who won, but it is not revealed until the end of the film. It's not important -- it's what drives these people to compete for 21 days straight and we as the audience can sympathise with them.

Pianoforte

Directed by Jakub Piatek

89 minutes

Where's Xi?

Xi and Ramaphosa with their wives in a photo call

China watchers are wondering what's going on after Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrived in South Africa for the Brics Business Forum, but failed to show up for the opening where he was supposed to deliver a speech.

In his place, Commerce Minister Wang Wentao read Xi's speech in Johannesburg, which had a veiled criticism against the United States for its tendency toward "hegemony".

Putin gave a speech virtually, but Xi a no-show

It is the first in-person summit at Brics, where the leaders of Brazil, India, South Africa, and China are meeting since the pandemic, though Russia's Vladimir Putin is virtually there as there is an international warrant for his arrest in the host country.

Although Xi arrived on Monday evening and later met South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, the Chinese leader was a no show at the business forum with no explanation given either.

Bonnie Glaser of the German Marshall Fund was quoted as saying: "It is extremely unusual for a Chinese leader to show up in a country hosting a multilateral meeting -- especially one that China is deeply invested in, like Brics, and fail to show up at the opening event."

Meanwhile Brian Hart, a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies added: "Xi's absence is highly unusual. Chinese leaders rarely go off script at high-profile events like this... Xi's disappearance is yet another reminder that Beijing can be a black box."

Xi had arrived Monday, met with Ramaphosa

CNN alluded to former top diplomat Qing Gang being suddenly disappeared for a month with no explanation either but replaced last month by his predecessor Wang Yi.

The Brics forum has more than 30 other heads of state and leaders from global organisations, including UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, attending the event.

It is the largest gathering of the Global South countries from Africa, the Caribbean and South America, as well as the Middle East, West Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.

Will Xi resurface later? Does he have a headache? Or would rather go check out a safari instead?

Many questions...

Where's Qin Gang?

Anyone know where Qin Gang is these days?

There is a lot of background chatter wondering where Foreign Minister Qin Gang is. He hasn't been seen for three weeks now and there's a lot of speculation and rumour about what happened to him.

Qin, 57, is a career diplomat and more importantly someone in Xi Jinping's inner circle. In December Qin was fast-tracked to the Foreign Minister job after a brief stint in Washington.

However, Qin hasn't been seen since June 25 when he met with officials from Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Russia in Beijing. 

Fu (left) likes wearing giant bows in her hair

At press briefings the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has tried to avoid answering the question of where Qin is, which is not only awkward, but also very telling.

As the former ambassador to Washington, he was expected to take part in talks with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and most recently climate envoy John Kerry in Beijing, but was no where to be seen. Could this explain why Yellen and Kerry were subjected to a lot of talk and no action? 

Qin was also supposed to represent in China at the Asean meetings in Jakarta last week, but it was announced that he was ill and was replaced by his predecessor Wang Yi.

The European Union's top diplomat Josep Borrell was supposed to come to China this past Monday, but Beijing abruptly cancelled the trip with no reason given.

Some rumours suggest Qin has Covid-19, but surely he would have recovered within two weeks at most with vaccines and access to Paxlovid.

Fu's selfie with baby son Er-Kin on a private jet

Others think if he had a heart attack, surely there would be a photo of him in hospital convalescing, maybe even with a thumbs up?

Nevertheless, there is a lot of speculation he may have had an extramarital affair with Fu Xiaotian, a TV presenter with Phoenix TV. She has a penchant for wearing giant bows in her hair like it was the 1980s.

She is known for interviewing top officials around the world and interviewed Qin in around 2022 and then interestingly nine months later Fu had a baby boy.

It is believed the child was born in the United States so he has American citizenship.

There were also pictures of her she posted of herself, the baby and supposedly her parents in a mansion in California that rents for US$60,000 a month. 

Fu has also posted pictures of herself on a Gulfstream private jet -- what reporter can afford to hire one, let alone media company shell out for it?

Her cryptic post on Twitter reads: "Last time flying out alone with this aircraft was from LA to DC for a work visit, and that both happily and sadly turned to be the very last interview I did with Talk with World Leaders. This time to fly out with this aircraft was also from LA, but with precious baby son Er-kin."

Fu hinting Qin is the father on his birthday

And she even posted pictures of her baby boy and apparently on social media has hinted her relationship with Qin by making posts around his birthday or when he was promoted to Foreign Minister.

"It is a very bad look for the PRC for their foreign minister to disappear for over three weeks," says avid China watcher Bill Bishop of Sinocism.

Indeed.

There is speculation Qin may be facing his downfall and people are wondering if this is what happens to someone who is close to Xi, then what? There are also rumours that perhaps when Qin was fast-tracked that he ruffled other people's feathers and someone may have gotten back at him by leaking information about Fu and the alleged extramarital affair.

The longer this goes the worse it looks for Qin and Xi, and by extension China.

One wonders where Qin is now and what he's in trouble for...

Review: Navalny

Opening scene of Navalny, following the politician's career

On Monday I went to watch the matinee screening of Navalny, which recently won Best Documentary in the Academy Awards. Most of the audience were seniors and at one point I thought I was the youngest in the room, and then some people in their 20s walked in.

Alexi Navalny is? was? the official opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He is a charismatic lawyer and politician, tall, handsome, has a wry sense of humour and loves his wife Yulia, as well as their two children.

The film starts with director Daniel Roher asking, so if you die, what message would you like to leave for the people? Navalny says we're not going to make a movie about my death. It's going to be a thriller.

Roher felt a duty to film as much as possible

Roher says in interviews the film was set up to be a thriller from the get-go -- he wanted to do it when he followed the news of Navalny's poisoning in Siberia and was recovering in Germany.

That's where the Canadian director started filming Navalny, tracing his career as a politician, offering a viable alternative to Putin and inspiring millions of Russians to stand up to the authoritarian regime.

Roher has said he was very aware of filming a politician who knows how to use social media and make videos, which is why Navalny the documentary is a well rounded portrait of the man, showing a wide range of emotions and situations from him convulsing on a plane to joking with his daughter.

As a result Roher asks provoking questions, particularly about Navalny associating with far right groups with Nazi leanings. Navalny answers them in a way that makes viewers squeamish about him standing together with these people, but at the same time understanding his need to reach out to all stakeholders regardless of their political views.

Viewers get to know Navalny's team who do investigative stories on Putin, and meet an outsider, Christo Grozev, chief investigator for Bellingcat, an online investigative journalism group.

The moment Navalny gets shocking intelligence

Grozev is Bulgarian but has worked in the media in Russia, speaks Russian and admits he is a computer nerd. He investigates Navalny's poisoning and through analysing phone logs and flight passenger lists, is able to name the people who tried to kill Navalny.

The most dramatic scene is a tense 15 minutes watching Navalny call up some of these people trying to get them to tell him why they did this to him and how. Two or three recognise his voice; Navalny changes tack and pretends to be the deputy of a commander and needs to know the details of the botched assassination attempt to write up for a report.

A man who is a specialist in making chemical weapons is sick at home with Covid-19 and not in the right frame of mind begins to tell Navalny how it all transpired...

There is also palpable tension watching Navalny when he takes a flight home to Moscow, journalists filming him through the whole flight. The constant barrage of cameras is vital to witness how he is whisked away at passport control. Did he know that would be the last time he would hug and kiss his wife? Did he think he would be let off easily? Or was he prepared for this all along?

Grozev is on Russia's most wanted list

Meanwhile protesters at the airport waiting for Navalny are roughed up and arrested by the police -- it is a terrifying reminder of how protesters were treated in Hong Kong in 2019, and how repressive these two regimes are. One Russian protester taken away demands to know what she has done wrong and none of the officers reply. Others have their arms twisted and broken as they are taken away.

Today Navalny is in solitary confinement in a gulag in Siberia, with hardly any contact with his family for months now. He is allowed two books to read and once a day can write with a pencil and paper for half an hour. There is no sign of when his sentence will end, nor if he can even have civilian doctors treat him for his back pains. He had flu symptoms before and has lost a lot of weight. 

His lawyer managed to tell him that he had won an Oscar.

American-educated daughter Daria has told CNN's Anderson Cooper that the government is slowly killing her father.

Meanwhile Putin has put Grozev on Russia's most wanted list, making it very stressful for him to travel and do his work, but he is undeterred in continuing to cover more injustices. 

Yulia gives a message to her husband at Oscars

At the Oscars, Yulia, who is considered the unofficial first lady of Russia, wore red -- her signature colour, meant to invoke Russia. 

"My husband is in prison just for defending democracy," she said before addressing her husband directly: "Alexi, I am dreaming of the day when you will be free and our country will be free. Stay strong, my love. Thank you."

Navalny

Directed by Daniel Roher

98 minutes