Today (1930)

Directed and edited by Esfir Shub, this is one of the most acute political documentaries of the late 1920s. It is composed of two parts – Night and Day in the Clutches of American “Freedom” and Night and Day Dneprostroi is in the Throes of Socialist Emulation.

Esfir Shub (1894–1959) addresses the themes of labour and capital by comparing and contrasting the worlds of Communism (Soviet Union) and Capitalism (United States). Selecting and commentating on scenes from American life, the director depicts a country of contrasts and social contradictions. This is countered by pictures of the Soviet way of life and the construction of the Dnieper Hydroelectric Station.