The first line of the Ukrainian national anthem is “Ukraine has not yet died,” one interviewee says in “Breaking Point,” a fierce documentary about that country and its recent clashes with Russia. For a land often perched on the edge of ruin, she says, mere survival is something to celebrate, Ken Jaworowski writes for The New York Times:
Directed by Mark Jonathan Harris and Oles Sanin, the film starts with a rundown of a history that has repeated itself for centuries — invaders have long prized Ukraine for its resources and geography, and modern times are no exception. …The filmmakers supply terrifying footage: At civilian rallies, we see nightstick beatings and bloody riots. ….Just as disturbing is an analysis of Russia’s worldwide fake news campaign, which spreads contradictory reports and Kremlin-friendly propaganda. “The Russians understand Western media far better than the Western media understands itself,” one interviewee says. …Another says: “Disinformation destroys reality. The Russians are masters of this — they have built a parallel reality.”
