War disabled on screen: remembering and forgetting the Great War in the Russian and Soviet cinema, 1914–1940

What is it about?

In the former Russian empire, the Great War caused at least 1 million diabled veterans (over 16 millions that had been mobilized throughout the war). Moving pictures, documentaries and newsreels help peoples all over the world to know, understand and maybe better accept the ongoing changes. In the revolutionary Russia and the Soviet Union, however, the discrepancy between their representation on the screen and the socioeconomical status was huge. It did not prevent this new social group to play a (hidden) role in the socialist system, and simply to live their unprecedented life.

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Why is it important?

This article participates to a wider monography project on the WWI disabled of the former Russian empire, as a generation - a topic that appears scarcely in scholar works. It is based on rare footage and films discovered in the Russian archives, and a deep knowledge of the Russian/Soviet cinema industry.