An incredible insight into Joseph Stalin’s Kafka-esque show trials of the 1930s, encapsulating the power of fake news and its devastating consequences.
Inside a packed courtroom, a group of professors and economists detail their supposed involvement with the subversive Industrial Party. The tragic twist: such a party never existed, but their punishments are real and predetermined. Using original footage shot as part of a propaganda push to showcase Joseph Stalin’s Communist might, director Sergei Loznitsa has assembled a remarkable portrait of injustice and mistruth. This compelling historical document resonates with contemporary political urgency and the consequences of unchecked political force.
Details
| Year: | 2018 |
| Classification: | Ages 15+ |
| Country: | Netherlands |
| Language: | Russian, with English subtitles |
| Director: | Sergei Loznitsa |
| Producer: | Sergei Loznitsa, Maria Choustova-Baker |
| Cast: | Nikolai Krylenko |
| Script: | Sergei Loznitsa |
| Program strand: | Setting the Stage |
| Rights: | Atoms & Void |