The Red Soul / De Rode Ziel

"If Stalin were alive today and ruling Russia ... would you be murdered or not?" a radio presenter in Moscow asks his audience. The name of the Soviet dictator responsible for the murder of millions of innocent people still deeply divides Russian society. Years after the historical reappraisal of his crimes, which affected almost every Russian family, Stalin has come to enjoy surprisingly great popularity in recent years. Director Jessica Gorter travelled across Russia to explore the political psyche of Russia under Putin's rule. We are witness to the stories of two sisters whose mother was taken away one night, visit a classroom where students speak with great caution about the experiences of their grandparents and hear the views of people who nostalgically gaze back on a great post war Russia. As the past does shape the present it remains, one way or another, an identity-forming part of the contradictory Russian soul.