My Unknown Soldier

How does it feel to become an occupier without having intended to? Using known as well as hitherto unpublished archival materials from throughout Europe and Russia, we tell a story involving director Anna Kryvenko’s own family about how high politics destroys the lives of ordinary people. Only a couple of years ago she came upon a family secret involving her geat-uncle, who as a Soviet soldier from the Ukraine had participated in the 1968 occupation of Czechoslovakia. In investigating her great-uncle's story, shetouches upon themes such as fragmentation of personal and national memory, inherited guilt, interpretation of history, media manipulation, today’s relationship with Russia, as well as Czechs’ and Slovaks’ attitude towards foreigners – all very current topics.