At the tender age of sixteen Nadezhda Alliluyev married Joseph Stalin, twenty three years her senior. Throughout their fourteen years of family life, Nadezhda stood by as Stalin transformed from the ordinary revolutionary into the unlimited dictator of Russia - a semi-god, whose portraits replaced Christian orthodox icons in the corners of peasant's huts. One morning she was found dead in her bed, revolver by her side. Up to this day, historians continue the heated debate as to whether she had killed herself or was murdered by Stalin. Tsukerman's film is an attempt to solve the riddles of the not-so-distant past, weaving stories within stories and blending commentary from remaining relatives, friends, and historians with rare archival footage. The film provides a fascinating overview of the early history of the USSR while simultaneously exploring the myriad questions surrounding this complex relationship.
Directing | Slava Tsukerman | Director |
Writing | Slava Tsukerman | Writer |
Sound | Joel Diamond | Music |
Production | Slava Tsukerman | Producer |
Production | Myra Todorovsky | Producer |
Production | Nina V. Kerova | Producer |
Production | Robert E. Field | Executive Producer |
Crew | Victoriy Yudkin | Public Relations |
Production | Lidia Radovsky | Production Manager |
Directing | Narit Gessler | Assistant Director |
Editing | Vlad Halamov | Assistant Editor |
Sound | Gary Dorfman | Sound Director |
Editing | Lidia Radovsky | Archival Footage Research |
Editing | Lidia Tsvetkova | Archival Footage Research |