Watch My Perestroika For Free

Fresh and Exciting

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

For the last couple decades, the US has had very, very little interest in Russia. It seems that after the Cold War technically ended, most Americans just wanted to assume everything was fine and go on with our lives. However, while the old regimes are gone, in its place is a lot of uncertainty--and this documentary does a great job of discussing the historical context for the new Russia as well as the vague dissatisfaction many there feel today. It's all enlightening--even if there are no clear answers. The film consists of the filmmakers following several 40-something Russians and just letting them talk. You have no narration--it's just like the folks are talking to you. Much of the film is a discussion of the old Soviet Union and its fall. I liked how the filmmakers juxtaposed this footage with old propaganda film from the Soviet government--it did a good job illustrating the old regime. The rest of the film concerned present-day Russia which is NOT such a clear picture. While the participants generally felt things are better, they were VERY jaded and seemed to have no faith in the current Putin government. However, how they react to this and the new sense of capitalism varies and is quite interesting to see--such as the idealistic man who has sort of dropped out of society. An interesting historical portrait of the old and a confusing view of the future--which is probably indicative of the average Russian's view of life in their country. It was the most telling when one said "What has really changed?". Fascinating and well made.

Combining vintage footage with modern interviews gives an informative glimpse into the everyday life of children in the Soviet Union and how different things are today for both the children and the adults. The interviews with the now-adults about their childhood were, in my opinion the most enlightening and interesting, as well as the portions about what it was actually like going through perestroika and glasnost. I thought it could have had a stronger theme tying the people together, but it may have just been a product of what the premise of the film was. Anyone interested in what Communism was actually like should definitely watch this.

My Perestroika is a film that documents the lives of five people from the USSR to modern day Russia. Hessman takes us through a time span of over two years through the personal lives and experiences of these characters. Hessman shows the lives of a single mom (Olga), a musician (Ruslan), two married History teachers (Borya and Lybia) and a businessman (Andrei), all ordinary people living through an extraordinary time. They move from the innocence of childhood to the awareness of college and young adulthood to the challenges of adjusting to capitalistic Russia.It's a powerful film because it's told through their eyes. A few characters use family footage to demonstrate their perspectives. Many lament on the nostalgia of communism and find difficulties living in an unfamiliar capitalistic society. They share their opinions of politics and politicians (especially Putin and the recent election); ironically they all have a common opinion about politics in post-modern Russia.They give their views of a childhood in USSR, their feelings about parenthood and give their predictions for the future of society. The audience can see a unique juxtaposition of traditional and modern, old and new as the last generation in USSR and first generation in capitalistic Russia seem to struggle to balance conflicting ideologies. Their children will grow up only knowing the impact of the west and Hessman clearly demonstrates this documenting Lybia and Borya's son listening to his ipod and watching American movies.The black and white footage has a particularly special impact that brings a unique realism and validation to the film. Hessman seeks to shatter the American myth of soviet Russia, that the world there was a horrible place until the west intervened. Most of the characters (except the businessman) in the film share the opposite opinion. Andrei looks at capitalism from the perspective of many in the west because he has benefited from it. In reality, they realize that both communism and capitalism have its positive and negative impacts.The film begins as it ends, with the first day of school. This monumental and unforgettable experience creates a strong connection between the audience and characters. We all remember our first day of school. The beginning of an era that encompasses our childhood and has a significant impact on our lives. It is the one thread that all of the characters share, classmates and childhood friends that reflect on their childhood and its memories, 20 years later.

Documentaries are rarely powerful enough to let me watch to the end. Firstly, the voice over usually has an I-know-all, scholarly tone of voice that makes me cringe. Secondly, when famous scientists are invited to say a few words, they are commonly limited to (indeed) a few words, since too many long words may tick off the average viewer. Should I go on??This time I gladly make an exception to my rule. The chosen format is perfectly suited to bring the mixed message across. It does not "feel" like a documentary at all. The idea to round up a handful of average people, and letting them picture their own past, is very good. This is mostly due to the fact that a real cross section of the Russian people does the talking, supported by photos and film fragments, partly from their past and partly from television.The concept was not immediately clear from the start, and it required some time to take off. The talking heads (in the positive sense) were filmed in their own environment (home, school, their business, etcetera), and were just themselves telling us about their past and present ideas. This works perfectly, also providing us with some insight in the circumstances these people live(d) in.All in all, I'm glad that I overlooked the fact that this film was announced as a "documentary". This is a format for which new terminology should be invented.