SLIFF 2010 Review: MY PERESTROIKA

MY PERESTROIKA is a Russian documentary that follows five individuals who came of age at the time of the break-up of the Soviet Union.  The individuals reflect back on their school days and life under the Soviet regime and after the dissolution of the USSR.  Borya and his wife are school teachers in Moscow #57.  Their son attends this school and this is the school that Borya attended as a youth.  We meet up with other classmates of Borya’s; Ogla, Ruslan, and Andrei.   Olga is an unmarried mom who is a billiards table service technician.  Ruslan is a musician; he does not have a steady job but works on the sly for cash only jobs.  Andrei is a businessman who owns a western style clothing store; many of the jobs that he has held would not have been possible under the old Soviet system.  The documentary shows the individual’s reminiscences through home movies.  Each in their turn speaks about the differences in their life between the before and after of the Soviet Union.  Borya and his wife took part in the demonstrations held in front of the White House in Moscow.  It is very interesting to hear firsthand how the demonstrations actually were and how they impacted the outcome of the military coup and the subsequent break-up of the USSR.

MY PERESTROIKA is an interesting look into life of the Soviet Union verses Russia from the individual’s perspectives.  I found the documentary interesting and well balanced.  I thought that the use of old newsreels and home movies really illustrated the point that was being made throughout the narration.   I found the narration of Borya, his wife, Andrei and Ruslan very interesting.  Olga was a little less informative. .  The biggest revelation for me was just how much alike our childhoods were; being excited about the first day of school, playing with friends and hanging out with your parents.  I was also surprised by Borya’s wife explaining that the students did not mean to all be alike but that it just happened because that was what made a perfect Soviet Citizen.  I really enjoyed the home movies and how they played off of the official news reel.  Other than the home movies, the documentary is shot pretty straight forward.  If you are interested in the history, cultural or social environment of the Soviet Union and its dissolution, you will find this documentary interesting.

MY PERESTROIKA will play during the 19th Annual Stella Artois St. Louis International Film Festival on Saturday, November 20th at 3:30 pm at the Tivioli Theatre.