Exclusive: An award-winning documentary about the woman known as the “Russian Erin Brockovich” gets support from… the real Erin Brockovich.
The environmental activist best known for her on-screen portrayal of Julia Roberts has signed on as an executive producer of Black Snowwhich follows Natalia Zubkova’s evolution from housewife to whistleblower. Prokovich attended the film’s U.S. premiere on Thursday evening at DOC NYC, along with director Alina Simone, Oscar-nominated producer Kirsten Barfod, editor Alex Gizintsev, and other members of the filmmaking team. Black Snow Screens again today at DOC NYC.
Natalia Zubkova talks about an environmental disaster in the movie “Black Snow”
Courtesy of Alina Simone
The documentary premiered at CPH:DOX in Copenhagen earlier this year and won the festival’s prestigious F:ACT award. It also won the Sustainable Future Award at the Sydney Film Festival in Australia.
When residents of a remote Siberian coal-mining town discover that an abandoned mine has caught fire, pushing toxic gas into their homes, they turn to housewife-turned-journalist Natalia Zubkova for help. But after her coverage of the coal fire went viral, the government launched a massive effort to hide the truth. Under an increasingly authoritarian government, Natalia embarks on a dangerous quest to uncover the full extent of the environmental disaster unfolding in her midst. Filmed over four tumultuous years in Russia and Eastern Europe, this taut and suggestive environmental thriller sheds new light on the human cost of coal and the covert tactics of Russia’s modern surveillance state.
Brockovich commented in a statement: “The film revealed the broad scope of these environmental issues and the extraordinary efforts a mother will go to in order to protect her children, her family and her community. Black Snow reminds us that we are all connected through our environment, a global concern that affects us all.
Simone, a Ukrainian-born journalist, made her directorial debut with Black Snow. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Guardian Long Read, The Atlantic, and NPR, among many others.
“From day one, we saw Natalia’s inspiring quest for environmental justice as ‘Erin Brockovich’s story’ and marveled at the similarities between a mom from Kansas and one from Kislyovsk,” noted Simon. “Having Erin join our team as an executive producer sounds like a Hollywood dream.”
(Left to right) Erin Brockovich, producer Kirstine Barfod, director Alina Simone, editor Aleks Gezentsvey attend the U.S. premiere of “Black Snow” at DOC NYC
@ Van Lobera Photography
Barfood received an Oscar nomination and a Peabody Award for production The CaveThe Syria-focused documentary was directed by Firas Fayyad. The Danish native founded Nordland Pictures in 2022, a production company based in New York.
DOC NYC programmer Bedatri D. Choudhury writes about Black snow“When we read courage profiles in the newspapers, chances are we don’t read about Natalia Zubkova. A citizen journalist and mother, Zubkova is an army of people who first expose and then fight the rampant corruption of the Russian government and its coal mafia, despite surveillance, harassment and threats. In this gripping investigative film, watch the story of an environmentalist who risks everything in her quest for justice and accountability from an authoritarian regime.
Black Snow Supported by Catapult Film Fund, Redford Center, IDA, Sara’s Wish Foundation, Justice for Journalists, Mountain Film, Film Independent, SVT, Burnt Umber Productions, Doc Society, and the Gotham Film and Media Institute.
The film is currently seeking distribution in the United States. Cinephil represents worldwide rights.