The world premiere in Berlin of Cyril Tuschi’s Khodorkovsky will apparently now go ahead despite reports that a final version of the film was stolen from the LALA Films offices yesterday [Feb 3].

It is understood top brass at the Panorama section plan to screen the film on Feb 14 at 4pm local time in Kino International after reports on Friday evening indicated the festival has received a print, albeit without German subtitles

Intruders broke down the doors to the LALA Films offices in the early hours of Feb 3 and took two PCs and two laptops containing working materials and the final version of the film. The premises were trashed but other items of value do not appear to be missing.

It is the second time thieves are believed to have struck after a hard drive containing parts of the documentary were taken from a hotel room several weeks ago.

Tuschi, a German filmmaker with Russian ancestry, sets out in the film to shed some light on the enigmatic Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

The former oil tycoon and Yukos founder is nearing the end of an eight-year sentence for tax evasion and was recently told he must serve a further six years in Russian jail on charges of embezzlement and money laundering.

The US and UK governments have called the sentence into question and branded it an abuse of the rule of law.

Rezo Films is handling international sales on Khodorkovsky and Farbfilm Verleih will release in Germany.

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