In The Wake of Stalin (91 min) France/ Russia |
Director: Thomas Johnson
Producer: Sylvie Cazin
Description:
Stalin still overshadows Russia. Through the work of human rights organization, the film shows how Stalin's ghost still haunts Russian society, its people and institutions, blocking the path to democracy. Archival footage retraces sixty years of a yet unfinished “de-stalinization.” Testimonies of the last survivors of the Gulag interwoven with interviews of historians in particular from Memorial, the NGO which has been fighting since its creation under the Perestroika period, for the acceptance and memory of this historical period. This film shows in an efficient and impressive way the social responsibility of archives, what role audiovisual Archives can have in a correct design of collective memory, and how such memory can be constructed and manipulated if such archives are not available or are only partly taken into consideration.
Biography:
Thomas Johnson is an acclaimed director and producer. He has recently founded his own Paris-based production company M Way Films, which has acquired the world rights of his films The Battle of Chernobyl, Atomic Alert, Hand and Mind. M Way Films produces creative documentary films oriented towards the sharing of life experiences, knowledge, arts and culture - films that tell stories and try to participate beyond noise and illusions to the emergence of an age of contribution.
Contact Information:
E-mail: thomas.johnson@mwayfilms.com