Cast: Olga Durikova, Boris (Borya) Meyerson,,Lyubov (Lyuba) Meyerson,,Mark Meyerson, Ruslan Stupin and Andrei Yevgrafov
Director: Robin Hessman
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Genre: Documentary, In Russian with Subtitles
Running time: 1 hr 27 min
Distributed by: International Film Circuit
By John Delia
Through the art of interviews, news footage, old photos and home movies we are brought to the reflection of a new age for Russia in the feature documentary My Perestroika. The eye opening of a huge powerful country in transition speaks loudly about capitalism, communism, socialism, politics and a proud people. Has the amazing change stood the test of time?
When the USSR broke apart in 1991, a generation of young people faced a new realm of possibilities. An intimate epic about the extraordinary lives of this last Soviet generation, Robin Hessman’s feature documentary debut tells the stories of five Moscow schoolmates who were brought up behind the Iron Curtain, witnessed the joy and confusion of glasnost, and reached adulthood right as the world changed around them. Through candid first person testimony, revealing verité footage, and vintage home movies, Hessman, who spent many years living in Moscow, reveals a Russia rarely ever seen on film, where people are frank about their lives and forthcoming about their country.
I found the film interesting and revealing in a historical sense. The people interviewed by Director/Producer/Cinematographer Robin Hessman certainly show the change in their lives including hardships, political differences and future choices within their ‘new’ lifestyles.
However, I am left with the feeling of uncertainty on the track Russia has taken. Hessman seems to gloss over the political direction of Russia that still holds on to the roots of Communism. I would like to see what the other independent countries as a result of the break up of USSR have done with there new found freedom and compared their strife with that of the five Russian people centered on in the film.
In all My Perestroika does show hope for the new beginning and although it may be a long road ahead it may be a little rockier than Hessaman’s camera has captured.
The film is unrated, but I found no offensive material. The film is projected in the Russian language with subtitles.
FINAL ANALYSIS: A good historical look into the eyes of a ‘new’ nation. (B)
MY PERESTROIKA has received the following accolades:
Official Selection – Sundance Film Festival, 2010, US Documentary Competition
WINNER – Filmmaker Award, Full Frame Documentary Film Festival 2010
WINNER – Special Jury Award, Silverdocs Film Festival 2010
WINNER- Best Documentary Film, Milwaukee Film Festival 2010
Official Selection- International Film Festival Rotterdam 2011
Official Selection – New Directors/New Films 2010
Official Selection – Hot Docs, Toronto 2010
Official Selection, Sheffield Doc/Fest 2010
Official Selection, Doha Tribeca Film Festival, 2010