From Moscow to Mainstream
The Soviet Quest for Cinematic Influence in the U.S.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54103/2036-461X/28623Keywords:
Soviet Film, Cold War Cinema, Film Distribution, U.S.-Soviet cultural exchange, Cultural DiplomacyAbstract
The distribution of Soviet films in the United States began in 1926 with the screening of Eisenstein’s Potemkin, managed by Amkino, a company registered in the U.S. but closely aligned with the Soviet government’s Sovexportfilm agency. Amkino facilitated the circulation of Soviet films, documentaries, and newsreels, targeting Russian-speaking audiences and American communist sympathisers. This initiative was part of the USSR’s broader strategy to spread communist ideology globally by directly engaging with the masses.
Renamed Artkino in 1940, the company sought to penetrate the American film market, which was largely dominated by Hollywood studios until 1948. This essay examines the history of Amkino/Artkino and its role in distributing Soviet films in the U.S. from its origins through the early Cold War, a process that remained on the fringes of the industry. The study also explores the company’s decline following the 1958 U.S.-Soviet cultural exchange agreement and the death of its president in 1960. By then, Soviet efforts had shifted towards engaging with the Motion Picture Association of America, having lost faith in Artkino’s abilities to access major Hollywood theatres.
Drawing on archival materials from the Artkino collection at the Berkeley Film Archive, the Russian State Archive for Literature and Art (RGALI) and other sources, this research highlights Soviet attempts to challenge Hollywood’s dominance and gain access to mainstream American cinema.
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