Filmmaker Oliver Stone got up close and personal while interviewing Russian president Vladimir Putin, with the two discussing the country’s ban on “homosexual propaganda,” the “behaviours and the thinking of the new generation”… and the possibility of Putin becoming godfather to Stone’s 22-year-old daughter.
Stone — who interviewed the Russian president in June shortly before the July 4 premiere in Italy of his documentary “Revealing Ukraine” — had mentioned pro-Russian Ukrainian politician and Putin ally Viktor Medvedchuk, when Putin said that Medvedchuk asked him to “take part in the christening of his daughter.”
“According to Russian Orthodox tradition, you can’t refuse such a request,” Putin said.
“Oh, you cannot refuse it?” Oliver responded. “Otherwise I would ask you to be the godfather for my daughter.”
“Does she want to become an Orthodox Christian?” Putin asked.
“Ok, we’ll make her that,” Stone responded, according to a transcript released by the Kremlin.
Stone went on to complain about “young people in America,” saying, “they are spoiled to some degree in the western world” and that he is “shocked by some of the behaviours and the thinking of the new generation.”
“And so much of the argument, so much of the thinking, so much of the newspaper, television commentaries about gender, people identify themselves, and social media, this and that, I’m male, I’m female, I’m transgender, I’m cisgender,” Stone said. “It goes on forever, and there is a big fight about who is who.”
In 2013, Russia put a law into effect banning “homosexual propaganda” among minors, which LBGTQ groups have said has caused an upsurge in homophobic vigilantism in the country. Stone said of their new legislation, “It seems like maybe that’s a sensible law.”
“Revealing Ukraine” premiered in Russia Friday and has been touted by Russian state media. Although it was supposed to air on a Ukraine TV channel, the broadcast was cancelled because of protests.
You can read the entire transcript of the interview here, including what prompted Stone to tell Putin, “You are a peacemaker” and “I am very worried about you.”