Almost Holy

Filmmaker Steve Hoover's remarkable documentary is about a man who is like a comic book hero, cloaked in vigilante virtue and moral ambiguity. Ukrainian pastor and strongman Gennadiy Mokhnenko has been a fixture in the crumbled city of Mariupol since Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union. Mokhnenko, a former soldier-turned-cleric, spends his nights chasing down young children with serious drug addictions who are living in unimaginable squalor. Forcibly taking kids to his shelter called Pilgrim Republic, Mokhnenko adopts a tough love approach to drug use (the sight of little children with track marks on their arms is nightmarish). Supported in part by the city, Mokhnenko is able to draw on urban resources, including police cooperation, hospital access, and social services. While it's hard to argue with the good he's doing as a sort of mask-less Batman, there's also no question that he is a controversial populist figure, leading loud and angry marches against criminal drug access in Mariupol (including pharmacies that sell pills under the counter to minors). And he shows little restraint when dealing with adult predators (“I'll let you keep your teeth,” he says to one battered lowlife.). Naturally, the question arises as to where the line lies between activism and unofficial authority. But there is little time to ponder this while watching this riveting film, with its horrifying revelations about young victims of depravity, and its look at tense events related to Ukraine's increasing vulnerability to designs by Russian president Vladimir Putin. Highly recommended. (T. Keogh)