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Belarus bans Child 44 movie day after Russia

The movie was blocked in Russia over distortion of historical facts and strange interpretations of events that happened before, during and after the Great Patriotic War

© ITAR-TASS/Vladimir Astapkovich

MINSK, April 16. /TASS/. Authorities in Belarus have blocked the release of the thriller film Child 44, a day after it was banned in neighbouring Russia, the head of a local film distribution company said on Thursday.

"We are forced to cancel the film's release," said Vasily Koktysh, general director of the Kinovideoprokat company.

Read also

Russia bans Child 44 movie over distortion of historical facts ahead of Victory Day

He said his organisation had a contract with Russian film distribution and production company Central Partnership, which demanded the Child 44 ban.

The movie is set in the Soviet Union during Joseph Stalin's rule and tells the story of a secret agent investigating a series of brutal murders of 44 children.

Production was directed by Sweden’s Daniel Espinosa, starring Tom Hardy and Gary Oldman, and the film was due for release in Russia and Belarus on April 16.

Central Partnership and the Russian Culture Ministry said in a joint statement on Wednesday that Child 44 raised questions "regarding the film's contents, first of all, distortion of historical facts and strange interpretations of events that happened before, during and after the Great Patriotic War [of 1941-1945],".

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