Virtual Friday Night Films at the Wende: Little Vera

The most sensational film of the perestroika period, Vasily Pichul’s grittily realistic Little Vera casts a demystifying gaze upon Soviet myths of the working class family. The script by Maria Khmelik was written years before the movie was made and initially was considered unfilmable. The film depicts aspects of Soviet life—alcoholism, hopelessness, and sexuality above all—with unprecedented candor, and stands as a precursor to contemporary Russian “documentary” theatrical and cinematic practice.

Watch on YouTube or rent on Soviet Movies Online.

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Virtual Film Picks are inspired by the in-person Friday Night Films at the Wende program series. This selection is part of a curated list of weekly movie suggestions that can be watched at home, in conjunction with #WendeOnline.