Private Project

Sex in the Soviet Union

A cinematic journey through seven decades of sexual ignorance, oppression, and suffering, brought to life through the words and experiences of the first Soviet sexologist. Ukrainian survivors of the regime recount the harsh realities they endured, from the pervasive suppression of sexual expression to the rampant exploitation and abuse that plagued Soviet society.

Delving into the darkest corners of the regime, the film sheds light on the underground worlds of pornography, prostitution, sexpionage, gay life, the gulag, abortion, rape and the daily terrors of searching for intimacy in a totalitarian regime.

Through archival footage, powerful personal testimonies, and the insights of leading experts, this documentary offers an unflinching exploration of the sexual mores and brutal repression that defined life in the USSR. It serves as a poignant reminder of the grave consequences of suppressing fundamental aspects of human existence and warns of the personal toll behind the global spread of authoritarianism.

  • Chad Gracia
    Director
  • Marina Orekhova
    Producer
  • Artem Ryzhykov
    Cinematography
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 40 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    June 30, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    250,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Ukraine
  • Country of Filming:
    Ukraine
  • Language:
    Russian, Ukrainian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Chad Gracia

Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner Chad Gracia worked in New York theater before turning to documentary with his debut "The Russian Woodpecker." He explores the cancer of totalitarianism at home and abroad. His films have screened in competition at Sheffield, IDFA, Bam, AFI Docs, SFF, SPIFF, Zurich and more. He has won prizes from Cinema Eye, Biografilm and the International Documentary Association.

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Director Statement

While the issues the documentary explores -- gay life during the time of Stalin, illegal abortions, sexual assault and immunity by those in power, pornography, prostitution and sexpionage -- are drawn from true stories of a dead regime, each has important lessons and relevance to current trends as Russia continues to export war and authoritarianism to the Western world.