Home Theater: The Propaganda Machine // Barents Spektakel 2023

Propaganda Machine

Propaganda Machine is a mockumentary performance in the form of a newscast based on real material from Russian television.

"Hello. The program "Zavtra" is on air. N.N. is in the studio. The main events of the day…", - when we talk about war in the context of domestic politics, propaganda plays a crucial role in it. We created a mockumentary performance in the form of a newscast based on real material that can be seen today on Russian television.

"It seems that the world is in a bad computer game. The one where you have to selectively infect the Slavic people..." - propaganda moves are designed to provide a stationary picture of the world and create the appearance of systemic knowledge, which when examined closely reveals many gaps and grey zones. In the play we create several such zones and allow the audience to see how they manifest themselves in real life.

An important space of the play becomes "The Call to the Studio” where we invite the viewer to participate in the program by amplifying the rifts in this fictional universe with their vitality. Viewers will be able to ask real-time questions about the current political situation. And create an opportunity to humanise the host-machine. True Partisanship is open. We don't know if the episode will end with a classic weather forecast or be interrupted by the channel management due to unplanned developments.

Author: Leo Braverman, actress: Anna Khlestkina, director and editing director prefer to stay anonymous.

Støttet av / Supported by: 

Barentskult, Utenriksdepartementet, Kulturdepartementet & Troms og Finnmark Fylkeskommune