The Trial 2018 Ages 15+

An incredible insight into Joseph Stalin’s Kafka-esque show trials of the 1930s, encapsulating the power of fake news and its devastating consequences.

Inside a packed courtroom, a group of professors and economists detail their supposed involvement with the subversive Industrial Party. The tragic twist: such a party never existed, but their punishments are real and predetermined. Using original footage shot as part of a propaganda push to showcase Joseph Stalin’s Communist might, director Sergei Loznitsa has assembled a remarkable portrait of injustice and mistruth. This compelling historical document resonates with contemporary political urgency and the consequences of unchecked political force.

125 MINUTES, NETHERLANDS, RUSSIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES / DIRECTOR: SERGEI LOZNITSA / SCRIPTWRITER: SERGEI LOZNITSA / PRODUCERS: SERGEI LOZNITSA, MARIA CHOUSTOVA-BAKER / CAST: NIKOLAI KRYLENKO / RIGHTS: ATOMS & VOID / SCREENING FORMAT: DCP