A Shaman's Tale

A Shaman's Tale is a documentary road movie focusing on political repression in modern Russia. The story follows a contemporary shaman who travels 8,000 kilometers from Siberia to Moscow. He believes he has a divine mission to perform an exorcism on Vladimir Putin, whom he views as a demon within the Kremlin. As the journey progresses, other individuals join him on his trek toward the capital.

The film was directed by Beata Bashkirova, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Mikhail Bashkirov. This was the first of two films she directed, followed by Cannes 2026 With Anton Dolin. The production was a collaboration between companies from the United Kingdom, United States, France, and the Czech Republic, including Hypermarket Film and Les Steppes Productions. Alexander Gabyshev appears in the cast as himself. The movie has a total runtime of 75 minutes and was released on April 25, 2024.