Rachel Maddow, renowned for her insightful journalism, is venturing into a new realm with her production banner, Surprise Inside, and its debut feature documentary, “From Russia With Lev.” This highly anticipated film is set to premiere at the “MSNBC Live: Democracy 2024” conference on September 7th in Brooklyn, marking a significant moment for political documentaries and those keen to know where to watch ‘From Russia With Lev’.
MSNBC Films has strategic plans for “From Russia With Lev,” initially opting for a limited theatrical release in arthouse cinemas before broadcasting the documentary on MSNBC later in September. This approach suggests a desire to reach both dedicated documentary film enthusiasts and MSNBC’s broad television audience, all eager to discover where to watch ‘From Russia With Lev’.
Directed by the acclaimed Billy Corben, “From Russia With Lev” delves into the captivating and complex narrative of Lev Parnas, a Ukrainian-born operative. The documentary meticulously chronicles Parnas’s journey through the political landscape, highlighting his unexpected entanglement with former President Donald Trump and his attorney Rudolph Giuliani. This association propelled Parnas into a clandestine campaign aimed at uncovering damaging information on then-presidential candidate Joe Biden. Parnas’s involvement extended to Trump’s first impeachment trial, a pivotal moment in American political history that concluded in February 2020.
Maddow’s role as executive producer for “From Russia With Lev,” which she embraced in January, underscores her deep engagement with this project. Her involvement comes four years after her impactful interview with a reflective Parnas just before the impeachment proceedings in January 2020. That interview notably garnered one of the largest audiences in the 15-year history of MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow Show,” demonstrating the public’s intense interest in Parnas’s story and foreshadowing the anticipation for where to watch ‘From Russia With Lev’.
Corben, a distinguished documentarian and co-founder of Miami-based Rakontur production company with producer Alfred Spellman, brings his expertise to this compelling project. Maddow herself expressed surprise and excitement about the documentary’s development. “When I learned that Billy and Alfred Spellman were working with Lev and had done a new exclusive interview with him around which they were basing the much deeper story of what really happened to this guy, I was blindsided,” Maddow shared with Variety. “I didn’t know they had been working on it because they kept it very quiet. But once I found out about it, I basically begged to be part of it.” This enthusiasm from Maddow further fuels the anticipation of where to watch ‘From Russia With Lev’.
The 92-minute film promises an in-depth exploration, drawing from over 30 hours of recent interview footage with Parnas and individuals within his inner circle. Adding another layer of depth, the documentary incorporates a trove of previously unseen personal materials, including photos, videos, documents, and secret recordings, offering viewers unprecedented access when they look for where to watch ‘From Russia With Lev’.
Maddow emphasizes the unique nature of the documentary, stating, “The really unique thing that makes the doc surprising and really substantive in terms of advancing the story is that Lev is a guy who saves everything.” She further elaborated on the impact of these materials: “So, he brings to bear all of these visual elements, secret recordings, text messages, photos and receipts that nobody’s ever seen before. As you are watching it, you can’t believe that this documentation exists of something that involves the former President of the United States.” This wealth of primary source material is a key element that distinguishes “From Russia With Lev” and will undoubtedly draw viewers eager to find out where to watch it.
Surprise Inside, Maddow’s production venture established in 2022 with former MSNBC president Phil Griffin, marks “From Russia With Lev” as its inaugural film project. Despite the documentary’s political underpinnings, Maddow believes its appeal will extend to a broad audience. She clarifies, “This is definitely not an educational film. It’s not an extended news item by any means. It’s this insane, very gonzo story about a guy who’s very interesting and funny. It’s not a Trump documentary necessarily. I think that it is compelling to anybody no matter what you think about anybody in politics or whether you think about politics at all. But for anybody who does have an interest in this political moment this is the first snapshot, from somebody who was there, about how things actually work inside the government when it is taken over by crooks.” This perspective broadens the potential audience interested in where to watch ‘From Russia With Lev’.
Corben mirrors Maddow’s sentiment, highlighting the film’s engaging narrative and central character. “Lev Parnas’ story is like Tom Clancy if Jack Ryan was played by Jackie Mason,” Corben remarked, painting a vivid picture of the documentary’s unique blend of political intrigue and character-driven storytelling, further enticing viewers to seek out where to watch ‘From Russia With Lev’.
Maddow clarifies that Surprise Inside’s focus is not solely on political narratives, aiming to explore diverse documentary themes. “I’m not working on docs because I need to scratch the news itch,” Maddow explains. “I’m doing that elsewhere. This is really not about persuading people to do a specific thing in terms of how they vote or what they do in politics. It really is just about finding the right platform to tell the right kind of story.” Her aim is to “entertain” while maintaining journalistic integrity, adhering to NBC News Group standards across all her work, including documentaries produced by Surprise Inside, ensuring quality content for those looking for where to watch ‘From Russia With Lev’.
“From Russia With Lev” is poised to debut at “MSNBC Live: Democracy 2024,” an immersive event designed for MSNBC enthusiasts, featuring appearances from Maddow and numerous other MSNBC hosts. This initial premiere will precede the broader release, giving attendees a first look before it becomes more widely available for those searching where to watch ‘From Russia With Lev’.
The documentary is a collaborative effort from MSNBC Films, Rakontur, Universal Television Alternative Studio, and Surprise Inside, with executive producers including Maddow, Rashida Jones, Rebecca Kutler, and Amanda Spain. As anticipation builds, audiences are keenly awaiting details on the precise locations and platforms for where to watch ‘From Russia With Lev’ as it becomes available in late September.
