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Reviews
The Russian Woodpecker (2015)
An authentically and tightly-told story
The Russian Woodpecker was one of the most refreshing documentaries I've seen in a long while. Such an authentically and tightly-told story - but one that doesn't rely on formulaic documentary formats (albeit still unarguably a documentary). Saw a lot of solid docs at Sheffield Doc/Fest this year but this was my total favourite. Whether you're into the themes/subject matter independently or not, this is a great film, a great story and a great lead character. Worth every 80 minutes of its and your time (I think it's about 80 mins). I came away moved and impressed by how they managed to tell such an epic narrative in such a relatable and relatively low-key way, seeing the Ukrainian/Russian situation from a human/personal perspective and beginning to understand it all the better for it.