Voina recognises the virtues of the law?

Our favourite Russian art group is in the news again – but this time it seems they are not protesting the law. Art Info reports that:

Voina (translating to “war” in English) openly rejects the rule of law, yet they have recently taken to the Moscow courts to sue filmmaker Andrey Gryazev for his 2012 documentary about the group, “Tomorrow.”

The film, which reportedly cost just $2,000 to make, follows the everyday lives of the artists as they plot future protests, pee on cars, and shoplift diapers for their youngest member, Kasper, son of Voina leader Oleg Vorotnikov and his wife, Natalia Sokol. The members clearly granted Gryazev broad access, but their lawsuit, filed in a Moscow court in November, claims they were led to believe that the footage was intended for archival use only and that distributing it violates their right to privacy. Voina is seeking about $33,000 in damages.

Voina had sought to prevent distribution of the film in a number all of ways, which were all unsuccessful. Indeed, Gryazev is said to have a contract and on-camera permission from Vortnikov and Sokol. It remains to be seen what the Moscow courts think of Voina's case.

Source: ArtInfo, 13 February 2013