My Perestroika (2010)

Very best movie i ever watch

Admirable film.

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

The documentary centers on 5 characters who were classmates for many years and belong to the last generation of Russians having spent their entire education in the soviet system. Through the sometimes very different outlooks of our 5 characters and inter weaved propaganda archive documents the viewer can see the contradictions of the life in USSR, but also the hardships of the brutal transition to a capitalist society. This film is truly objective in this sense that it narrates several divergent points of view, without imposing an editorial line, and we can see these points of view meet on many subjects. The Russians I know who watched the film (including my wife) all agree that it portrays accurately their society and their parents. I think anyone even remotely interested in Russia should watch this.

Life goes on. Political systems change. Economies provide wealth for all, or not. We ring the bell to start the school year, and life goes on.This documentary takes the five graduates of PS 57 in Moscow through the wild changes of Perestroika and the end of the Soviet Union. The "money" line for me was "No sausage, but we were happy". In the old days they had less but life felt good. The film addresses the complicated question of Socialism vs. Capitalism, but not directly. And that's a strength. The lives of the five subjects are sketched out., The huge drama of the Soviet Union collapsing is reported succinctly. We get to see the outline of these lives. We get to ponder the tense present of some, the placid present of others, and compare it to the stable and happy but less prosperous earlier life.A life on potatoes but without sausage seems grim to a materialist. A prosperous life without joy seems grim to a spiritualist. Both the Soviet Union and America were mixed economies. Both had socialist and capitalist elements. What's the right mix? This film is excellent background material for those pondering this question. It's also a great review of the last two decades of Moscow life.Minor complaint: though the entire film is in Moscow, and the "no sausage" line seems more like a description of Perestroika outside the major cities.

I like this documentary, which recalls my memory in China. In some level, Russia is the big brother and father of China. We have the same faith, the same society mode, the similar party history and the similar memory about the past at once. Although the opening day of school in China is not as special as Russia's, it's also very important for every kid who is ready to begin their school life. We have the same red scarf, the young pioneer, the group activity out of campus, and a heart that is ready for constructing our country and socialism. We also have the firm faith of socialism, the three-years difficulty period, and finally have to learn how to confront the history and the collapse of the faith. Every September is the time for school to open. Every year, countless students come to school and begin their new life. Every generation has their difference and shares the similar experiences. They are the hot-blood young people at once. The school life for them is the perfect memory forever. Although society is changed, the leader is not the same one yet, they grew up, became rich or poor. They have suffered the pain and happiness. Their youth has been past as well as the heavy history. But the life is going on and the youth is going on.

Robin Hessman's "My Perestroika" is an interesting view of a world unknown. For these people, growing up during the time that they did was something completely new, and because of this they had no one to turn to. This film helps you to understand what growing up in a different world is like. As their government collapsed and the Soviet Union was no more these individuals found their lives becoming more and more awry. From a production standpoint, this film is well made despite Hessman's lack of equipment and crew. She conducted the interviews herself with her camera in hand, and while it's not as stylized as many recent documentaries, it fits the tone of the film perfectly. This method also brings the audience closer to the individuals and allows for a more personal connection with them. The archival footage in the film is used in a creative way; similar shots of archival footage (such as the first day of school) juxtaposed with current shots. This method works as a metaphor for the generation gap between these individuals and the following generation. Finally, I am amazed with the understanding that Hessman has of this situation not being from Russia. It shows that this documentary was well research and was cared for every step of the way.