Aerograd DVD

Aerograd (1935), directed by Alexander Dovzhenko, is a visually stunning Soviet adventure drama set in the remote Far East during a time of intense geopolitical tension. The film centers on the newly founded town of Aerograd, whose strategic airfield becomes a vital outpost for the Soviet government as it seeks to secure its Pacific frontier. The plot unfolds as the town faces the looming threat of Japanese attack, echoing the real anxieties of the era when Japanese expansion in Manchuria brought conflict to the Soviet border. Within Aerograd, the struggle is both external and internal. The diverse residents, Red Army veterans, collective farmers, indigenous Chukchi, and descendants of Old Believers, are divided over the Soviet project. While many support the promise of progress, others, including members of a religious sect and surviving White Russians, resist Soviet influence and conspire with Japanese saboteurs, threatening the town’s unity and defense at a critical moment. Aerograd stands out for its portrayal of Soviet multiculturalism, with characters from different backgrounds working together for the common good, including intermarriage between Russians and Chukchi. At the same time, the film serves as pre-war propaganda, emphasizing vigilance, collective action, and loyalty to the state in the face of external aggression and internal dissent. Dovzhenko’s operatic style and sweeping landscapes blend patriotic fervor with moments of personal sacrifice and ideological conflict, making Aerograd both a historical artifact and a cinematic reflection of the Soviet Union’s hopes and anxieties on the eve of World War 2.

USSR, 1935, B&W, 81 minutes, Russian dialogue, English subtitles. Digitally Transferred from an Original 35mm Lavender Interpositive Film Print.

NTSC Region 0 encoding (Entire World)