It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

To fully appreciate this documentary, you should have no idea about the political situation in Russia today. This film weaves a fictitious web about NASHI, in our Western MSM described as a Russian youth organization, much like Hitler Jugend, tasked with creating enemies within Russia. The purpose of the movie is to provide a so called inside picture of Putin and his friends. Elegantly we are taken on make to believe journey where Putin's mind less drones are attacking those labeled as enemies, opposition or Western friendly, and celebrating nationalism, pro-government and militarism. For the general viewer, the story is well framed and sits well with other current and not so current stories about Russia and its leader.

My issues with this film were as follows: - young people acting like idiots (destroying things, beating people up, 'vandalizing' cars, acting out for cameras, joining cult-like groups and leaving them as relationships go hot/cold) is hardly proof of any kind of conspiracy other than young people in Russia are the same as young people everywhere. And that douche-bag men with napoleon complexes will take advantage of them. - the Masha girl whose character arc was the film's arc was completely unbelievable. The tragedy of her is completely common - for a brief time when she was 16-17, she was very attractive. Men treated her well. Because she was a child, she didn't realize that she was being used. (To say she had a position of power in Nashi based on that film is ridiculous, as her power was directly linked to how much the leader wanted her around - that's not real power). As he gets tired of her, she moves on to where she can get that attention from someone else- a group of reporters from the other side (ohhhhh so extreme) (she calls them her friends while they describe her joining their group as great 'social entertainment, to see what will happen'). -She says it herself in her tips of public speaking: 'if you have to give an opinion, believe in it.' (paraphrased) she brainwashes herself to whatever role gets the attention. It's sad for her (although hardly unique). But it also undercuts any believability in this documentary. She's always posing for someone - whether for the leader of Nashi, the danish reporter, the director, or someone else - her 'conversations' are re-enacted and scripted into this role that doesn't seem any more authentic than anything else about her.

This documentary details the life of a member(Masha Drokova) of Nashi, youth political organization that supports Vladimir Putin, President and Prime minister of the Russian Federation.At first Nashi seems like any type of political youth organization, like Young Democrats of America or Young Republicans. But as this doc claims there are more darker sides to this youth organization that meets the eye.Nashi seems more preoccupied with trying to silence their opposition using very violent methods, propaganda, using football hooligans to beat up people etc. Masha Drokova at first, denies these allegations but then gets to know one of Putins biggest critics, Oleg Kashin and his friends.Oleg Kashin claims that Nashi is fully comparable to Hitler Jugend, and that it only serves as mean to brainwash Russia's youth to obey Putin. Masha Drokova on other hand tries to convince him of the opposite until one day.....This documentary is quite simply just as riveting as any political thriller, look at All the King's Men (1949), Choose Connor (2007), The Ides of March (2011)etc. Or other fascinating documentaries about politics, Follow the Leader: Young, American and Right (2012), The War Room (1993)etc.What we get to see is a young girl full of idealism, naiveté and also part of the new young Russia that was born after the fall of communism, and has only benefited(socially, economically) during Putins reign.Viewers interested to know more of Russia today, and why critics seems so hard on Putin, etc should watch this. Others should stay away.

The documentary unfolds in the last half of the 2000s (decade) and follows a young Russian girls development in the state organised youth organisation Nashi. Starting with full faith in the systems ideas and ideals, she gradually discovers unresolvable issues between her ideals and the actual consequences of the system, this prompts her to take some difficult choices. I like the film a lot because I think it very accurately portraits a shift in youth perception of this period, from unabridged optimism due to the economical rise of Russia with Putin and the democratic thoughts of Medvedev, to a reluctant realism of the re- arrival of a Sovjet like system. Furthermore although documentary in its nature the film has a number of aesthetic pleasing scenes as well as some scenes that very sharply portrait persons and actions. I would recommend this film to anyone interested in an understanding of modern Russia.