Kostya Proletarsky, a drug user and HIV/AIDS activist, died of tuberculosis on 19 July 2009, in Botkin Hospital, in St. Petersburg. His early death was caused by torture at Penal Colony no. 4, in Karelia, and from being denied medical treatment. In Russia, treatment for drug use is almost completely inaccessible, and most commonly, users are sent to prison as a “solution”. These institutions offer no cure, on the contrary, they have caused the deaths of several people in need of treatment. This hand-drawn animation documentary uses original interviews with Kostya and his mother, Irina, to raise awareness of inhuman prison conditions.
István Gábor Takács studied to be a psychologist and has worked as a human rights activist, video filmmaker, trainer and contributor at the Law Reporter Foundation. He led the video program of the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union between 2007 and 2015, and worked for five years in the needle exchange program of the Drug Prevention Foundation. He is the author of several articles on harm reduction, and the cinematographer, film editor and co-director of over 700 online videos.
Lili Rontó is a Hungarian graphic artist. She earned her degree at the Hungarian University of Fine Arts in 2003. She produces graphic art for the Hungarian Institute for Educational Research and Development and the Academy Publishing House and other book publishers. She produces album covers, poster designs, animation clips, logos and many more. Her unique style of drawing and painting has been recognized at several exhibitions. She also produced the music with István Gábor Takács for Kostya Proletarsky.