Despite war and sanctions, life goes on in Moscow. Under exceptional conditions, we were able to film the extraordinary daily lives of Muscovites.
While in semi-isolation from the rest of the world, Moscow’s elites have adapted. The ultra-rich continue to live life to the full. They organise underground parties and gourmet dinners. “I think that parties are better since the sanctions began. People really want to relax”. Officially, luxury items like Hermès bags are no longer available for sale in Moscow. But the trade never really ended. Smuggling has taken over. The grey market is not only accepted but actually encouraged. As companies can no longer import directly to Russia, they sell to other countries, like Turkey or Georgia, who then import the products to Russia.
In the Neglidnaia district, the chicest part of Moscow, brands like Chanel and Dior still maintain their expensive leases. A discrete sign in the window simply says ‘Temporarily Closed’. “They don’t want to lose the location, because it’s the most prestigious,” explains Andrei. “If these brands left, others would move in, and they would never be able to come back.” While tourism from the West has dropped 90%, tourism from China has increased.
New tourists, a resilient economy, the people of Moscow seem to have adapted to the new constraints. But there’s one area where the rules have become much stricter: controlling access to information, especially on social media. Instagram, Facebook and Twitter have all been banned, dubbed as extremists so Alina, an influencer, has moved to Twitch. She refuses to answer any questions about France and has been widely advised not to speak to Western journalists. French teacher, Franck, has lived in Moscow for 12 years. His wife is Russian and they have three daughters. Like the other dual nationals who remain in Moscow, Franck claims to be neutral. However, in a country where any form of criticism of the war is punishable by long prison sentences, is neutrality still possible?