My Perestroika

In honor of my wife's return from "Mother Russia," I have decided to contribute to her Russia themed posts with my own Russian film recommendation. I've been fortunate enough to have been introduced to numerous Soviet films which, quite surprisingly, are among the best movies I've seen. Today, though, I will be recommending a documentary that is not included in the myriad of Soviet classics but a new movie that embodies the generation that straddled both the Iron Curtain of the Soviet Union and the less impermeable post-Soviet era.

Perestroika (meaning restructuring), introduced by President Gorbachev during the 1980's, is often associated with the Westernization of the USSR and the ultimate dissolution and collapse of the nearly 70 year old Soviet Union. Although perestroika and the collapse of the Soviet Union is mostly discussed and analyzed from a state, international, and global perspective, the film My Perestroika digs deeper. This documentary film is a tale that traces the story of five people that grew up in a time where the real changes were not just happening at the state-level, but, more significantly, at the personal level. While some embraced the new changes, most were left confused and trying to find their way in what seemed like a foreign country. This disorientation lingers throughout the Russian society today and is depicted throughout the personal, political, spiritual, and cultural spheres.

I recommend that you check out this movie if you have a desire to learn more about the post-Soviet "Russian soul" or would like to simply reminisce and rekindle your own personal experiences of perestroika.

Where to watch: Netflix Instant Play