The Bolshoi System – Ballet, Power & Politics

Explore the world behind the curtains of the prestigious Bolshoi Theater, considered the pinnacle of Russia's high culture and a microcosm of Russian society.

Captured in the year and a half leading up to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, this documentary is a portrait of Russian society before the war of aggression and an examination of the role Russian culture played in the preparations for war. Against the backdrop of current events, it deals with the individual relationships of artists within the political system. Through conversations with Olga Smirnova, prima ballerina and the only member of the ensemble to leave Russia, and Wadim Schurawljow, former head of artistic programming at the Bolshoi Theater, this film offers a unique perspective into Russia's esteemed theater.