The documentary is a thrilling investigation into Chernobyl and a secret Soviet weapon standing in its shadows, conducted by a mad and irradiated Ukrainian artist. Now he must decide whether to risk his life and play his part in the revolution by revealing it.
A corking conspiracy lies at the heart of Chad Gracia's debut documentary, whose darkly comic proceedings are strewn with covert recordings and animated interludes.
A documentary with no easy antecedents, The Russian Woodpecker is at once a glance inside a wondrous mind, a journey back into the twisted mire of the Cold War and an experience that can't stop provoking questions.
The Russian Woodpecker is only valuable as entertainment, though the absence of any equivalent to the Zapruder film or allegedly suspicious NASA photos means there's not much visual interest.
