A crowd of journalists, politicians, commentators, and activists gathered in central London on the hottest day of the year so far to attend a black-tie event organised by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). Last night I had the pleasure of attending the UK premiere of Live Not By Lies, the documentary adaptation of Rod Dreher’s 2020 book of the same name.
Before the screening, there was a speech by Triggernometry’s Konstantin Kisin. Kisin, having spent a large part of his childhood in the Soviet Union, was well-placed to bring together the themes of the film—totalitarianism, in its various forms, past and present.
Live Not By Lies was released by Angel Studios in April this year on its streaming platform as a four-part miniseries, though at yesterday evening’s viewing, we watched it in one go. It describes itself as “a powerful warning from Soviet dissidents about the emerging totalitarianism in our society,” which it undoubtedly is. The film features interviews with various experts on the subject—notably, author Douglas Murray, associate professor of philosophy of religion at Cambridge University Dr. James Orr, and the ADF’s senior legal communications officer, Lois McLatchie Miller. McLatchie Miller herself has experience with being arrested for speech-related crimes. Just last month, she and Chris Elston (better known as Billboard Chris) were arrested in Brussels for holding signs decrying the gender transitioning of children. They were both released without charges after a few hours, but the whole ordeal was a frightening reminder that free speech now holds little sway in many Western countries.
Live Not By Lies provides sustained deep delves into the plights of individuals whacked with the censorious stick. @_BellaEpoque https://t.co/Zsn6zjxSt8
— Ayaan Hirsi Ali (@Ayaan) July 2, 2025