Gorbachev. Heaven

Published: 09.04.2021.

Gorbachev. Heaven (Gorbačovs. Paradīze), dir. Vitaly Mansky, 97’, Latvia/Czech Republic, 2020

A documentary summing-up of one’s life, given by the man who changed the world in the 20th century. The protagonist of the film is Mikhail Gorbachev, the first and last President of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics or, as the U.S. President Ronald Reagan called it, “The Evil Empire”.

Gorbachev’s short time in power was marked by the collapse of this empire. He launched the policies of Perestroika and Glasnost. He demolished the Berlin Wall. However, during this time the citizens of the Baltic States had to die for their freedom, the Chernobyl disaster was silenced, and Gorbachev’s army violently dispersed the peaceful protesters in Tbilisi. The Soviet empire collapsed under him – and he is condemned by his own people. With this burden of the past the lonely old man is living the last days of his life in an empty house in the suburbs near Moscow.

International Premiere December 2020, IDFA (the Netherlands)

Scriptwriter Vitaly Mansky
Cinematographer Alexandra Ivanova
Sound Director Anrijs Krenbergs
Editor Yevgeny Rybalko
Producer Natalia Manskaya
Co-producer Filip Remunda
Production Company Vertov
In Co-production with Hypermarket Film (Czech Republic), ARTE G.E.I.E, Czech Television
In Association with Current Time TV (USA)