Russian Lessons

The film starts as a journey by the two directors-protagonists. Olga and Andrei, on the two sides of the frontline during the Russian-Georgian wars in August 2008. A film on such a hot political (and geopolitical) subject first of all establishes emotional contact with the audience by depicting human drama, before coming up with political conclusions. They emerge naturally and powerfully as overwhelming evidence of Russian imperialist plot shows through the Russian media smokescreen as well as mistakes and naivete of the Georgians. The filmmakers return to their St. Petersburg studio loaded with unique footage and evidence which they analyze in the process of film-editing. This process is intertwined in the film's narrative and the viewer gets a sense of partaking in it. In this way the filmmakers are able to come to forceful conclusions without slipping into propaganda and prejudice that characterize too many films about the August war. Importantly the film puts the recent war in context of the post-Soviet history which has managed to keep its darkest secrets away from the international public's attention despite dozens of relevant UN resolutions. At the same time as Milosevic was earning the reputation of the biggest evil of the post-communist world, Russia was sponsoring and conducting the campaign of terror and ethnic cleansing against the Georgian population of integral parts of Georgia, with cruelty exceeding that of the war in the former Yugoslavia.