The Cars We Drove into Capitalism

During the Cold War, almost every family in the Eastern Bloc treasured and impeccably maintained the car they had waited so long for. This film looks at the fascinating history of socialist automobiles based on select accounts which portray the events and hardships of the time with a touch of humour. The automobile was also seen as a means to an end against the imperialist class enemy. For most communist countries, the car was an instrument of propaganda, used to symbolise technological progress and the equality, if not the superiority of their system. Even Western families were known to drive a Lada, Wartburg, Moskvitch, Trabant, Skoda or Zaz. We meet a young woman who was inspired by pin-up models, a couple who drove to freedom in West Germany but had to abandon their beloved car on the last leg of their journey, a former racing champion and automobile fanatic who turned his old banger into a luxury vehicle, and many more. A cinematic journey that focuses attention on its heroes – both man and machine.