Virtual Friday Night Films at the Wende: The Long Breakup

The Long Breakup is a feature-length documentary about Ukraine’s struggle to escape Russia’s embrace, leave its Soviet past behind and become an independent nation. Ukrainian-American journalist Katya Soldak of Forbes Magazine, now living in New York City, tells the story of her country of origin as it exits the USSR, works through two revolutions, and endures a war—all through the eyes of her family and friends in Kharkiv, a large city near the Russian border.

The documentary takes viewers on an intimate journey that illustrates how big geopolitical changes affect people on a personal level and explores what happens when a nation must fight for the right to choose its future. The tale offers insight into the experience of an immigrant watching her native country go through crises from afar, but, most importantly, it is a personal story about life in the former Soviet republic and the struggle for freedom forming a backdrop to so many lives.

Filmed over the course of a decade, The Long Breakup features an original soundtrack as well as music from Ukrainian and Soviet artists. The film is intended for global audiences with general interests and those interested in the USSR and post-Soviet developments.

This week’s film selection is presented in conjunction with Soldak’s Cold War Spaces program, Secession Space: Ukraine’s Path to Independence. You can access the movie by clicking here.

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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.