I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

The documentary centers on 5 characters who were classmates for many years and belong to the last generation of Russians having spent their entire education in the soviet system. Through the sometimes very different outlooks of our 5 characters and inter weaved propaganda archive documents the viewer can see the contradictions of the life in USSR, but also the hardships of the brutal transition to a capitalist society. This film is truly objective in this sense that it narrates several divergent points of view, without imposing an editorial line, and we can see these points of view meet on many subjects. The Russians I know who watched the film (including my wife) all agree that it portrays accurately their society and their parents. I think anyone even remotely interested in Russia should watch this.

Combining vintage footage with modern interviews gives an informative glimpse into the everyday life of children in the Soviet Union and how different things are today for both the children and the adults. The interviews with the now-adults about their childhood were, in my opinion the most enlightening and interesting, as well as the portions about what it was actually like going through perestroika and glasnost. I thought it could have had a stronger theme tying the people together, but it may have just been a product of what the premise of the film was. Anyone interested in what Communism was actually like should definitely watch this.

I like this documentary, which recalls my memory in China. In some level, Russia is the big brother and father of China. We have the same faith, the same society mode, the similar party history and the similar memory about the past at once. Although the opening day of school in China is not as special as Russia's, it's also very important for every kid who is ready to begin their school life. We have the same red scarf, the young pioneer, the group activity out of campus, and a heart that is ready for constructing our country and socialism. We also have the firm faith of socialism, the three-years difficulty period, and finally have to learn how to confront the history and the collapse of the faith. Every September is the time for school to open. Every year, countless students come to school and begin their new life. Every generation has their difference and shares the similar experiences. They are the hot-blood young people at once. The school life for them is the perfect memory forever. Although society is changed, the leader is not the same one yet, they grew up, became rich or poor. They have suffered the pain and happiness. Their youth has been past as well as the heavy history. But the life is going on and the youth is going on.

My Perestroika is a film that documents the lives of five people from the USSR to modern day Russia. Hessman takes us through a time span of over two years through the personal lives and experiences of these characters. Hessman shows the lives of a single mom (Olga), a musician (Ruslan), two married History teachers (Borya and Lybia) and a businessman (Andrei), all ordinary people living through an extraordinary time. They move from the innocence of childhood to the awareness of college and young adulthood to the challenges of adjusting to capitalistic Russia.It's a powerful film because it's told through their eyes. A few characters use family footage to demonstrate their perspectives. Many lament on the nostalgia of communism and find difficulties living in an unfamiliar capitalistic society. They share their opinions of politics and politicians (especially Putin and the recent election); ironically they all have a common opinion about politics in post-modern Russia.They give their views of a childhood in USSR, their feelings about parenthood and give their predictions for the future of society. The audience can see a unique juxtaposition of traditional and modern, old and new as the last generation in USSR and first generation in capitalistic Russia seem to struggle to balance conflicting ideologies. Their children will grow up only knowing the impact of the west and Hessman clearly demonstrates this documenting Lybia and Borya's son listening to his ipod and watching American movies.The black and white footage has a particularly special impact that brings a unique realism and validation to the film. Hessman seeks to shatter the American myth of soviet Russia, that the world there was a horrible place until the west intervened. Most of the characters (except the businessman) in the film share the opposite opinion. Andrei looks at capitalism from the perspective of many in the west because he has benefited from it. In reality, they realize that both communism and capitalism have its positive and negative impacts.The film begins as it ends, with the first day of school. This monumental and unforgettable experience creates a strong connection between the audience and characters. We all remember our first day of school. The beginning of an era that encompasses our childhood and has a significant impact on our lives. It is the one thread that all of the characters share, classmates and childhood friends that reflect on their childhood and its memories, 20 years later.