Russia 1985–1999: TraumaZone

Russia 1985–1999: TraumaZone (subtitled in promotional media as What It Felt Like to Live Through The Collapse of Communism and Democracy) is a seven-part BBC documentary television series created by Adam Curtis. It was released on BBC iPlayer on 13 October 2022.

Russia 1985–1999: TraumaZone
Title card from episode 1
Also known asRussia 1985–1999: TraumaZone: What It Felt Like to Live Through The Collapse of Communism and Democracy
GenreDocumentary
Created byAdam Curtis
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes7
Production
Executive producerRose Garnett
ProducerSandra Gorel
Running time60 minutes
Production companyBBC Film
Release
Original networkBBC iPlayer
Original release13 October 2022 (2022-10-13)

Background

Previously unused archival footage of the Soviet Union and Russia from the BBC's Moscow bureau was unearthed and digitised by a BBC employee, Phil Goodwin.[1] Adam Curtis appeared to be the only person within the BBC interested in using the footage.[2] In a departure from his usual style, Curtis opted not to use voiceovers or non-diegetic music, with the only commentary made via on-screen captions.[3][2] Curtis, in a piece in The Guardian, explained this choice was because the footage was "so strong that I didn’t want to intrude pointlessly, but rather let viewers simply experience what was happening".[4] In an interview with Meduza, Curtis stated that Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace served as an inspiration for him as "it appeals to my collage mind".[5]

Premise

Using stock footage shot by the BBC, the series chronicles the collapse of the Soviet Union, the rise of capitalist Russia and its oligarchs, and the effects of this on Russian people of all levels of society, leading to the rise to power of Vladimir Putin.

Episodes
Episodes of Russia 1985–1999: TraumaZone
No.TitleDuration
1"Part One: 1985–1989"60 min
Includes footage from the AvtoVAZ factory in Togliatti, the funeral of Kim Philby and the April 9 tragedy anti-Soviet demonstrations in Tbilisi.
2"Part Two: 1989–1991"60 min
3"Part Three: 1991"60 min
4"Part Four: 1992–1994"60 min
5"Part Five: 1993–1996"60 min
6"Part Six: 1994–1998"60 min
Yeltsin believes a war in Chechnya will save him. Includes footage of the Battle of Grozny, the electoral campaign of Liberal Democratic Party leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky, and the trial of gangster Sergei Shashurin in Kazan.
7"Part Seven: 1995–1999"60 min

Reception

The Guardian gave the series five stars, calling it "ingenious, essential viewing".[6] Writing for the Financial Times, Dan Einav said "Russia 1985–1999 TraumaZone is unmistakably an Adam Curtis documentary. And an exceptional one at that."[7]

The series won the award in the best specialist factual category at the 2023 British Academy Television Awards.[8]

References
  1. "«Когда империя разваливается, не стой слишком близко» Одна из самых ярких (и болезненных) документальных работ 2022 года — сериал TraumaZone о перестройке. Мы поговорили с его автором Адамом Кертисом". Meduza (in Russian). Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  2. Gray, John (18 October 2022). "Adam Curtis's magic lantern through Russia". New Statesman. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  3. Whyman, Tom (14 October 2022). "Adam Curtis's 'TraumaZone' Needs More Adam Curtis". artreview.com. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  4. Curtis, Adam (12 October 2022). "'They are stealing Russia': Adam Curtis on how hyper-capitalism wrecked a nation – and why Liz Truss must take heed". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  5. "«Когда империя разваливается, не стой слишком близко» Одна из самых ярких (и болезненных) документальных работ 2022 года — сериал TraumaZone о перестройке. Мы поговорили с его автором Адамом Кертисом". Meduza (in Russian). Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  6. Jeffries, Stuart (13 October 2022). "Russia 1985–1999: TraumaZone review – ingenious, essential viewing from Adam Curtis". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  7. Einav, Dan (10 October 2022). "Russia 1985–1999 TraumaZone — Adam Curtis's exceptional collage of conflict and collapse". Financial Times. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  8. "Bafta TV awards 2023: the full list of winners". The Guardian. 14 May 2023. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
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