‘Exorcising the Spectre: the representation of the fall of communism in former Warsaw Pact countries in 21st century European cinema.’

Abstract

Cinema tries to present major political change in a number of ways. The events that shape the kind of societies we live in across the world have a direct impact on the culture within these societies. Just less than thirty years ago the Cold War ended with the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the fall of communism across Eastern Europe. The Warsaw Pact nations - consisting of East Germany, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania and Bulgaria - all later joined the European Union. Film can be used as a method of exploring different viewpoints to those found within traditional media. This study aims to consider films produced by former Warsaw Pact nations that are set during the fall of communism. In doing so, the representation of these major events and their impact will be analysed. To help structure this study, three main areas will be considered - the representation of ordinary citizens during the fall of communism; the common ideas, themes and motifs present within the films; and how the process of westernisation is represented as well as post-communist life overall.