Socialism on Film : The Cold War and International Propaganda


Catalogue record, available from: Socialism on Film.

Look behind the iron curtain with this collection of films from the communist world.
University of Melbourne now have access to all 3 modules of this database:

  • Module I: Wars & Revolutions
  • Module II: Newsreels & Cinemagazines
  • Module III: Culture & Society [New for 2019]

Sourced from the British Film Institute (BFI), Socialism on Film documents the communist world, from the Russian Revolution to the end of the Cold War. This unique collection of documentary films, features and newsreels reveals all aspects of life behind the Iron Curtain, as seen by filmmakers from the USSR, Vietnam, Cuba, China, East Germany, Eastern Europe and more.

Providing a counterpoint to Western perceptions of communist states and their actions, the films illuminate how socialist countries saw themselves and the world around them during the major political and social events of the twentieth century. The footage was originally sourced from communist states, then versioned into English language for private distribution in Britain and the West.

This is the largest film collection of its kind to survive in Western Europe. The films have been conserved, digitised from the original 16mm and 35mm reels, and are fully transcribed and searchable.



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