My perestroika documentary presentation
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Transcript of My perestroika documentary presentation
My Perestroika
asummary
My Perestroika follows the lives of five former schoolmates who grew
up in the last years of the USSR, documenting how they have
adjusted to the differences in life in post-Soviet Russia.
The film focuses on the story of the couple Borya and Lyuba, two history teachers with very different backgrounds.
Lyuba
Borya
a conformist who would salute the TV when the Soviet hymn played
a Jew who preferred to subvert the system whenever possible.
But it also examines the lives and opinions
of three former classmates:
Olga
Ruslan
Andrei
. . . and these three classmates offer their own perspectives, giving depth and
contrast to the view of post-Soviet Russia presented by the film.
a single mother and works for a company that rents out billiard
tables
a famous Russian punk rock musician who now plays in the metro for
money
an entrepreneur in new Russian capitalism who
sells French dress shirts
central message
True societal change is difficult to achieve.
It's like cleaning your room.
Mostly you just put things away, leaving the general layout of the room untouched. It is only when you sort through and evaluate the accumulation of stuff in your room, labeling things “used” “might use” and “never use” and dusting in the farthest corners, that any true change occurs.
It is important to clean your room like this sometimes, even though your mother usually can't tell the difference.
My Perestroika shows the importance of realizing the
difference between perceived
societal change and
reality.
how effective was the film in
communicating its message?
The absence of any sort of narrative voice allowed for both the interviews and the old footage to speak for themselves.
There was no explanation or external guidance for how
to interpret the film.
Instead, it allowed the listener to simply
absorb
and develop their own opinion.
how did the filmmakers want the
audience to respond?
The filmmakers wanted the audience to laugh,
but understand the seriousness as well.
The thoughtful yet good natured and humorous views of the interviewees
on both their own experiences and the future of their country
let the audience to enjoy all the film instead of
drowning in the seriousness of the topic.
the role of the individual
in the modern world
The individuals in My Perestroika are not famous.
However, the film shows that the role of the individual, even one who lives a normal, simple life, can be affected by and in turn affect the world.
It shows how important the give and take of the relationship between the modern
world and the individual is.
It shows that how each individual
conducts their life lends something to
the overall perception of a society.
questions
Where are the interviewees now?
Have their lives changed anymore?
I wish there would have been more elaboration on what they think the
future of Russia is going to be like.
conclusion
My Perestroika illustrates the importance of recognizing the difference between perceived
societal change and reality and the importance of the individual in this
process.