The Trial

In early 1930s the Soviet Union brings to court a group of leading economy experts and engineers, accusing them of attempting a coup d’état. Even though the charges are fabricated, the accused will face death in case of conviction. The process, which at the time was meant to serve as an image of justice and a consolidation of Stalin’s power, has become a symbol of the abuse of power under an authoritarian regime. The title’s match to Franz Kafka’s novel of the same name is hardly a coincidence as the process in the film is similar in its absurdities and tension to the world created by Kafka. Sergei Loznitsa’s skilful use of archival material makes history become alive, while also showing that a degree of dramatisation of the trial is there originally in order to appeal to larger audiences.