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.