My Perestroika

Gr 10 Up—In the two decades since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, life there for common citizens has changed radically. This striking documentary records the transformation of the lives of five former Moscow classmates from their childhood during the Communist era though their teen years during the Perestroika ("Restructuring") period and up to today. Their paths have taken different directions, which provides the platform from which each describes their life situation and feelings toward the larger society in which they find themselves. While the bulk of the presentation consists of their first-person commentaries in Russian with English subtitles, the producers utilize a very rich variety of vintage footage, including magnificent home movies of the subjects' younger years. The juxtaposition of 8mm images with today's video is especially effective when used to illustrate the differences as well as the similarities between past and present. The well-paced program, which features a background of pleasing Russian contemporary and classic songs, includes a number of Communist-era propaganda films to help establish the tone of life during that time. To their credit, the producers smoothly transition to a remarkably clear explanation of the process of the government's eventual transformation. Although the lack of chapter selection does limit the film's classroom use, it would be a superb addition to school library research collections. Even though it seems that many of the subjects are constantly smoking and one of them sprinkles some adult language into his commentary (the producer, Robin Hessman, is preparing a version which edits out the objectionable language), this should not disqualify the film for serious purchase consideration to support collections in sociology, government, and history.—Dwain Thomas, formerly Lake Park High School, Roselle, IL