Film phase:Completed
SYNOPSIS
My Perestroika follows five ordinary Russians living in extraordinary times — from their sheltered Soviet childhood, to the collapse of the Soviet Union during their teenage years, to the constantly shifting political landscape of post-Soviet Russia. Together, these childhood classmates paint a complex picture of the dreams and disillusionment of those raised behind the Iron Curtain.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Robin Hessman is a documentary filmmaker and independent producer. In addition to My Perestroika, Robin is co-Producer of the Peabody-Award winning film, Tupperware!, and the PBS biography of Julia Child. During her years living in Russia, Robin was the producer of the Russian-American co-production of Sesame Street, “Ulitsa Sezam.” Robin frequently acts as a consulting producer on independent documentary films.
NOW PLAYING
My Perestroika, winner of a 2012 Peabody Award, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in the US Documentary competition. It won the Filmmaker Award at Full Frame, a Special Jury Prize at Silverdocs, and was selected for MoMA and Lincoln Center’s prestigious New Directors/New Films series. The film also played in cinemas in over 70 cities in North America and was rated one of the top films of the year by critics. It aired on the PBS series POV and in many other countries. My Perestroika was selected for the Economist Magazine’s “Film Project” and featured in the Financial Times and on the PBS NewsHour. The film is currently being used in curriculums in dozens of universities in high schools in History, Political Science, Anthropology, Sociology, Film Studies and Russian Studies.