The Stalin That Was Played by Me
A scene from a feature film, a TV in the background and a handful of family pictures - that is all we need for an intriguing encounter with Yevgeni Jugashvili, the grandson and the spitting image of Joseph Stalin. Jugashvili adores the Man of Steel. Still, the latter never wanted to meet him, and the party leader mercilessly sacrificed his own son, Jugashvili's father, during World War II. Manipulation, propaganda and social compulsion have spun a web of stories that have erased the personal identity of Stalin's grandson. Still, the filmmaker runs the risk of getting carried away by his enthusiasm. For the sake of her film, she keeps silent about her own Jewish background, subordinating her position to his life story. With its reserved but gripping choice of form, the film uniquely visualises the classic conflict of the documentary filmmaker.