The Russian long-term observation “Born in the USSR” is known worldwide for having followed the chequered lives of nine children born in the Soviet era for 28 years. Emmy award winner Sergey Miroshnichenko creates fascinating insights into the worlds of his protagonists who have now grown up in quite a different value system. Take nine ordinary seven-year-olds and change their whole environment. Put their parents’ values upside down and exchange them for the norms and values of the society they will grow up in. Add puberty and hormones at the age of 14, followed by military service, financial difficulties and the onset of adult responsibilities at 21. Then wait seven years. “Born in the USSR” portrays very different people from Russia, Central Asia, the Baltic States and the Caucasus. It’s more than a film about life in the post-Soviet era, more even than a collection of biographies. It is always a very universal film about growing up, about dreams and hopes, realities and disappointments and the big question of what life holds in store for each of us.

Production note