Aleksandr Medvedkin

A documentary on Soviet filmmaker Aleksandr Medvedkin, examining his tumultuous career, the rediscovery of his masterpiece Happiness, and Russia's struggles over the course of the 20th Century.

Lazy or incompetent peasants try to malinger and wriggle their way out of duties at the Kolkhoz.

This half-hour documentary focuses on Medvedkin and his CineTrain of the 1930s, a sort of mobile film workshop, complete with post-production facilities, animation stations and a large laboratory. Traveling thousands of miles across the Russian countryside, the train stopped to have its filmmakers document Ukranian harvest practices, steel production facilities in southern Russia and other industrial / agricultural matters; With each crew member living in 1 square meter living quarters, all individuals on the train were responsible for various odd-jobs and other practical matters in addition to their own film-making concerns.

The director's reflections on the modern politics of the Reagan administration.

About the difficult political situation in the world related to the arms race.