Red Army

Gabe Polsky, son of Soviet immigrants, grew up in the United States playing hockey and hearing about the glory days of the invincible Soviet Red Army team. The Soviet Union’s best propaganda for the triumph of socialist teamwork, the legendary team is tracked from its heyday dominating Cold War rivalries through the post-glasnost years and the uncertain fortunes of the team's star players.

With recollections from the team's charismatic young captain, Slava Fetisov, who goes from national hero to political enemy to NHL American star to post-Communist Minister of Sport and a core of four team players, coaches, retired KGB operatives and sports journalists, Red Army goes behind the iron curtain to tell the dramatic story of how the superstar team achieved their mastery on ice and the high price they paid when the personal clashed with the politics of state.

Join New America NYC for a screening of Red Army, followed by a conversation with the film’s director, Gabe Polsky; Russian sports reporter Vladimir Gurvich; and David Greene, host of NPR's Morning Edition and author, Midnight in Siberia, about the post-Soviet Russia that continues today.

Copies of David Greene's Midnight in Siberia will be available for purchase.

Participants:

Gabe Polsky
Director and Producer, Red Army

Vladimir Gurvich
Sports reporter, V Novom Svete
Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science, Rutgers University

David Greene
Host, NPR's Morning Edition
Author, Midnight in Siberia: A Train Journey into the Heart of Russia
@nprgreene