Citizen X

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Citizen X is a made-for-TV movie, released in 1995, which gives a fictionalised account of the Russian serial killer Andrei Chikatilo—who was convicted of killing 52 women and children—and the efforts of detectives in the Soviet Union to capture him.

The film was directed by Chris Gerolmo, who also wrote the screenplay adapted from the book The Killer Department by Robert Cullen, and stars Stephen Rea as Detective Viktor Burakov; Donald Sutherland as Col. Mikhail Fetisov, Burakov's commanding officer; Max von Sydow as Dr. Alexandr Bukhanovsky, a psychiatrist assisting the case; and Jeffrey DeMunn as Chikatilo.

As well as being a crime thriller, the movie tries to make a serious point about propaganda and bureaucracy contributing to the failure to capture Chikatilo, since his crimes were not widely reported for fear of revealing that such things occurred in the "perfect" Soviet Union.

[edit] Awards

CableACE Awards
- Best Movie or Miniseries
- Best Supporting Actor in a Movie or Miniseries (DeMunn)
Edgar Awards
- Best Motion Picture Screenplay (Gerolmo)
Emmy Awards
- Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special (Sutherland)
Golden Globe Awards
- Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV (Sutherland)