Putin's Mama

Intriguing documentary on very lively babushka Vera Putina. Living in the poor, peasant town of Metechi, Georgia, she claims to be the mother of the Russian president - or 'King of Russia' as one of the village boys interviewed has it. In convincing (and affecting) testimony, ex-Russian Putina tells the story of her meeting with Putin's father while studying engineering, the pressures that led to her allowing her son to be adopted, aged 10, and her recent recognition of him. Neighbours' tales of the boy's harsh treatment by his stepfather may go some way towards explaining Vladimir Vladimirovich's reluctance to accept his Metechi roots.