Sanctions and Isolation: Inside the Secret Life of a Capital at War

"Despite war and sanctions, life goes on in Moscow. 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. 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. 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?" This documentary was produced by Tony Comiti Productions and directed by Leïla Yacoubi. It was first released in 2024. ------ We have the stories that global corporations don't want you to know. Our channel is home to award-winning investigations, current affairs and revealing documentaries that challenge unchecked global powers and give you the real, human stories behind the headlines. Want to understand more about our world? Want to delve beyond news headlines and understand global issues more deeply? Subscribe to DISPATCH for all this and more. Make sure to hit notifications to never miss a new release!