State Funeral

May 21 2021 N/A 2h 15m
Documentary, History

The enigma of the personality cult is revealed in the grand spectacle of Stalin’s funeral. The film is based on unique archive footage, shot in the USSR on March 5 - 9, 1953, when the country mourned and buried Joseph Stalin.

Plot

Unique, mostly unseen before, archive footage from March 1953, presents the funeral of Joseph Stalin as the culmination of the dictator's personality cult. The news of Stalin's death on March 5, 1953, shocked the entire Soviet Union. The burial ceremony was attended by tens of thousands of mourners. We observe every stage of the funeral spectacle, described by Pravda newspaper, as the Great Farewell, and receive an unprecedented access to the dramatic and absurd experience of life and death under Stalin's reign. The film addresses the issue of Stalin's personality cult as a form of terror-induced delusion. It gives an insight into the nature of the regime and its legacy, still haunting the contemporary world.

Written by

Sergey Loznitsa

Directed by

Sergey Loznitsa

Production Countries

Lithuania, Netherlands

Production Companies

Nutprdukce, Studio Uljana Kim, Atoms & Void, Current Time TV

Languages

Awards

3 wins & 7 nominations

Scores
# of Votes
1,395
Average Rating
7.2 out of 10
Metascore
81
Popularity
NA