Nazis and Blondes (2008)

Synopsis: What was the role of the Baltic film actors in creating the figure of the enemy in the Soviet time cinema?
Many generations of Soviet people were raised in the spirit of Soviet war films that were blockbusters and propaganda films at the same time. Our movie is dealing with the fact that the most Nazi villains in soviet war movies were played by Baltic actors. It’s ironical fact that the reasons why the Baltic actors were chosen to play the Nazi roles in that time were mostly physiognomic, but the consequences were political. The paradox is that personifying stereotypic Nazi villains in Soviet films these actors encouraged and uphold the stereotype that Baltic people were Nazi sympathisers.

Nazis and Blondes is a film consisting mostly of film footage (from Soviet and western film archives) and interviews which help to explain both the situation in the Soviet film industry and political context of the time. In the film we study the image of the Enemy in the Soviet war films that developed and changed at different times from the early 1940s till the end of the Soviet Union.
An elusion to the world of Blondes. One-eyed Estonian sexbomb Eve Kivi whips prisoners in a concentration camp in some Russian war movie in the middle of 70-ies. Was Susan Sontag right to see an element of eroticism in representation of Nazis?
What was the classification of the roles of fascists? Simple soldiers. Executioners. High profile villains. The more experienced and recognised the Baltic actor was, the more refrained adversary he was offered to play.
The Baltic actors who played the roles of Nazis did their job brilliantly. People recognised them in the streets, they got letters from all Soviet Union, they were beloved. But they never got awards for these roles.
We organised a reunion meeting of these old Baltic actors who played the roles of Nazi villains In Soviet war movies. It takes place in a medieval castle in the deep forest, as if it is a secret meeting. They gather to meet each other, look at old photos and movies. Award-giving Ceremony: Who gets the prize for the most cruel Nazi? But for the most humane Nazi? In the Reunion event the old men and women watch film clips from Soviet times, from their youth, when they were well known all over Soviet Union. When they were known as villains who managed to penetrate deep down into the subconscious of Soviet cinema audience.
Is an actor responsible for his roles?
The film “Nazis and Blondes” communicates the forced choices made by several generations of the Baltic actors who simply dreamed of fame on the screen in those times.