2026  ·  Germany, Italy, France, Lithuania  ·  Documentary

Imperium

STATUS: Released

Imperium

  • 2026
  • Germany, Italy, France, Lithuania
  • Documentary
  • Russian, Ukrainian, Kazakh, Uzbek, Georgian and other indigenous languages of the Eastern Soviet Union
  • English
  • 175 mins
This film is currently not available.   
Imperium is a striking visual journey through the vast expanse of the Soviet Union, built entirely from long-forgotten archival footage shot between 1970 and 1973 by Italian filmmakers. From Arctic shores to Central Asian deserts, from the Carpathians to the Pacific, the film reveals a rich tapestry of cultures the Soviet state sought to standardise. Beginning in Moscow and gradually approaching remote villages where centuries-old traditions still thrived, exposing the decreasing weight of centralised power. Without voice-over or commentary, the images themselves reveal a profound paradox: an empire projecting unity while ruling over profoundly heterogeneous worlds. Through these rare, unfiltered glimpses of daily life, Imperium uncovers the often-hidden colonial dynamics of the USSR and the quiet resilience of its many peoples. More than a historical document, the film becomes a lens through which to understand the fractures and geopolitical tensions that continue to resonate across the former Soviet space today.

Credits

Director
Sergei Loznitsa
Writer
Sergei Loznitsa
Producer
Philippe Bober, Anne-Claire Martin, Giovanni Pompili, Philippe Bober, Anne-Claire Martin, Uljana Kim

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