The unknown war

Authors:Burt Lancaster (Host, Narrator), Rod McKuen (Adapter, Lyricist), Fred Weiner (Adapter), Isaac Kleinerman (Television producer), Roman Karmen (Screenwriter, Television director), Ilya Gutman (Television director), Thengiz Siemenov (Television director), Igor Grigoriev (Television director), Seda Pumpianskaya (Television director), Leonid Kristy (Television director), Zoya Fomina (Television director), Vassily Katanian (Television director), Siemen Kisselov (Television director), Gemma Firsova (Television director), Lev Danilov (Television director), Igor Guelein (Television director), Nina Solovieva (Television director), Alexandra Rybakova (Television director), John Lord (Screenwriter), Konstantin Slavin (Screenwriter), Edwin Polianovsky (Screenwriter), Sergei Drobashenko (Screenwriter), Ivan Mendjzeritsky (Screenwriter), Alexander Pumpiansky (Screenwriter), Igor Itskov (Screenwriter), Pavel Demidov (Screenwriter), Harrison E. Salisbury (Author), Sovinfilʹm (Firm), Central Studio of Documentary Films, Bregin Film Corp, A.G., Fred Weiner Productions (Firm), Air Time International (Firm), Shout! Factory (Firm)

Summary:In 1978, the Soviet Union produced "The Unknown War" as something of a response to the 1973 U.S. series "The World At War" feeling that the latter series shortchanged the role that Russia played in WWII. While not outright propaganda, it is resolutely pro-Soviet, glorifying their soldiers and people. This includes episodes about everyday life for Russians during the war, and how the Soviet government moved their production facilities to Siberia to escape the Nazis (and ended up being the most productive country during the war). Despite plentiful, revelatory unearthed combat footage, it feels rather stodgy, which--given that it was commissioned by the Soviet government--is not all that surprising