Marc Fogel, who is detained in a Russian prison, was a graduate of Butler High School. His graduation photo is displayed in his mother Malphine's home in Butler Township. Irina Bucur/Butler Eagle

Max Karpman first met Malphine Fogel a few days before Christmas 2023 to work on a documentary about her son, Marc.

The filmmaker’s first experience with Malphine, a 95-year-old Butler woman, left a lasting first impression. Malphine quickly went to work preparing a family recipe for the crew.

“When we got to the house, she hugged us and made us soup,” Karpman said. “It was the quintessential grandma experience. How strong she was stood out to me.”

Karpman’s documentary, “Did you forget Mr. Fogel?” will be screened at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Penn Theater in downtown Butler. The film documents the battle to get assistance to help Marc return home after being arrested and jailed in Russia.

Fogel, a teacher, was detained at a Russian airport in 2021 and still is fighting to secure his release. He was arrested for carrying a half ounce of marijuana in his luggage, which was prescribed for chronic pain due to a back injury.

“My biggest fear is that they’ll bypass him,” Malphine said of Marc. “I don’t want people to forget about him.”

The documentary was created by student filmmakers Kaylee Smith, Seth Karall and Francesca Hill along with Karpman on a budget of $21,000. Karpman made the documentary as part of a Community Voices class at Chapman University in California.

Karpman’s pitch for Marc’s story was one of six projects selected. A donor to the school provided $13,000, while Karpman crowdfunded another $8,000 to complete the project.

Malphine Fogel tears up while talking about her son Marc, a Russian detainee, during a news conference at her home in Butler to discuss her lawsuit against Secretary of State Antony Blinken on June 20. Butler Eagle file photo

“It wasn’t my first time making a documentary,” Karpman said. “But there were a lot of challenges. A lot of it was the emotional weight the story had. It affected us watching the interview footage every day.”

Karpman never had Fogel as a teacher, but had heard good things about him from fellow students when he attended the Moscow Anglo-American School.

“I never had him as a teacher at school, but I knew who he was,” Karpman said. “I had a few people tell me he was the best teacher you could imagine. He would do whatever he could to help you pursue your career path.”

When Malphine first got the call about the documentary, she was honored to have people interested in her son’s cause.

“I was surprised and happy that they thought enough of Marc to do that,” Malphine said. “They couldn’t have been more gracious.”

Karpman directed the film and feels as if Marc's case has fallen out of sight because of other cases. Marc, who was living in Oakmont before his arrest, didn't have the name recognition of other prisoners.

The most notable case during this time involved Brittney Griner, a women's basketball player who is a star in the WNBA with the Phoenix Mercury.

Griner was brought back to the United States in December 2022. She was involved in a prisoner swap that occurred after a long campaign for her freedom.

Griner was arrested in February 2022 at Sheremetyevo International Airport, the same airport Marc was arrested at, for carrying vaporizer cartridges containing less than a gram of hash oil.

Malphine Fogel said the real object of her fight is to get Marc’s status changed to wrongfully detained. That was part of her reason for wanting to meet with former President Donald Trump before his rally July 13th at the Butler Farm Show grounds.

Malphine did get a few minutes with Trump before the rally started.

Malphine has been in contact with Marc. He is allowed to make phone calls home on the weekends. However, Malphine was out of contact with him for a few weeks when the phone lines were down at the prison.

Malphine hopes the documentary can shine a light on Marc’s situation and get him brought back to Pennsylvania. Everything hinges on getting his status changed.

“Until that classification gets changed, nothing will help,” Malphine said.

Doors open 5:30 p.m. for the screening at the Penn Theater. The event will begin with remarks from Karpman at 6 p.m. and be followed by a 15-minute film viewing.

The panel, featuring Malphine Fogel and others, and a Q & A with Karpman are planned for after the film’s conclusion.

An open cash bar and concessions will be available.