The awarding of the Oscar for best documentary to the film "Navalny" was well-deserved, not only because it is a riveting film, but because it prods us to think about what will happen to Russia if Vladimir Putin loses his war on Ukraine.
Alexei Navalny is Russia's best-known opposition politician, whose health has been deteriorating since he was jailed on trumped-up charges in 2021. The film is a gripping detective story that traces how he was poisoned by Russian intelligence agents while on a speaking tour in Siberia, miraculously escaped death, and returned to Moscow after treatment in Germany. Navalny was arrested at the airport and is likely to stay imprisoned so long as Putin retains power.
When Navalny's wife, Yulia, took the stage to accept the award for him, she praised her husband for "defending democracy." In an emotional speech, she said softly, "Alexei, I'm dreaming of the day when you will be free and our country will be free. Stay strong, my love."
