Lost World of Communism, The

Synopsis

In 1989 an entire way of life ended for millions of people behind the Iron curtain. But what was it like to live under communist rule in Eastern and Central Europe? After the end of the cold war some east Europeans remembered their lives as interesting, varied and full of opportunities - a world some still hanker for. But was this really the case? Lack of freedom in public and private spheres, the dominating role of the Secret Police, interrogations and imprisonment were all a feature of communist life. Combining first hand testimony with archive footage this DVD recreates and examines the world that disappeared twenty years ago - the lost world of communism. The headline stories of cold war spies and surveillance by secret police do not paint the whole picture. After 1989 some remembered their lives under communism as ‘perfectly ordinary lives,' some yearned for the ‘security’ the system gave them, while others missed the privileges that came with Party membership. What was life really like in a society where communist ideology permeated every aspect of life? Education, sport, art, work, play, entertainment and family life - nothing was left untouched. Security was essential in keeping these regimes in power. The secret police had an extensive network of informers and collaborators. Almost everyone behind the Iron Curtain was leading a double life - routinely saying one thing in public and thinking another in private. How did people carve out a private space for themselves in a society where the tentacles of the state reached everywhere? This series gathers together unique archive and personal testimony from those who lived behind the Iron Curtain in East Germany, Czechoslovakia and Romania. The personal stories of dissident leaders, artists, athletes, entertainers, members of the communist elite, secret police and ‘ordinary’ citizens evoke the moods, preoccupations and experiences across four decades of a now lost world of communism.

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Year of release

2008

Subjects

History; Sociology

Keywords

communism; Eastern Europe

Distribution Formats

Type

DVD

Format

Region 2 PAL

Price

£19.56

Availability

Sale

Duration/Size

180 minutes

Year

2009

Distributor

Name

BBC DVD

 

Available from retail outlets