The Russian Woodpecker (2015): Ratings & Plot
The Russian Woodpecker is a 2015 historical documentary directed by Chad Gracia. It runs 1 hour 20 minutes. It earned 1 award nomination, including Best Documentary Feature at the Spirit Awards 2016. Critics gave it 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and 74 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.7/10.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 20m (80 min)
- Director
- Chad Gracia
- Genres
- History , War , Documentary , News
- Original language
-
Russian - Studio
- FilmBuff
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Russian Woodpecker About?
The premise of The Russian Woodpecker without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Haunted by the Chernobyl disaster, a Ukrainian artist and activist investigates the "Russian Woodpecker," a peculiar steel pyramid that emitted strange radio signals. Returning to the Exclusion Zone, he uncovers unsettling secrets while confronting his own past and the risks involved in revealing the truth. The investigation unfolds against the backdrop of Ukraine’s revolution and ongoing conflict, creating a tense and gripping documentary-conspiracy thriller.
The Russian Woodpecker Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- secret
- kyiv ukraine
- protest
- reference to the soviet union
- reference to chernobyl
- chernobyl disaster
- chernobyl nuclear accident
- nuclear reactor
- chernobyl exclusion zone
- nuclear power plant
- radiation poisoning
- exposure to radiation
+38 more Show fewer
- soviet history
- cover up
- reference to mikhail gorbachev
- european history
- censorship
- former soviet republic
- political protest
- reference to viktor yanukovych
- displaced person
- displaced child
- displaced civilian
- radio signal
- man made disaster
- radio transmitter
- kinescope
- reference to joseph stalin
- radio antenna
- secrecy
- radio frequency
- radio communications
- reference to hertz
- reference to a woodpecker
- maidan
- ionosphere
- reference to aurora borealis
- collapse of the soviet union
- reference to the iron curtain
- holodomor
- reference to freedom of press
- investigation
- reference to gulag
- reference to the kgb
- radar
- radar system
- reference to the u.s. military
- cold war
- misappropriation of funds
- reference to the death penalty
The Director of The Russian Woodpecker
Directed by Chad Gracia.
- Director Chad Gracia
The Russian Woodpecker Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave The Russian Woodpecker 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and 74 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.7/10.
-
IMDb 6.7 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 96% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 67%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 74 Metascore
User score 5.6
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 63% User score
See on TMDB -
Letterboxd 3.4 /5
1 ratings
See on Letterboxd -
Movie Insider 5.0 /5
See on Movie Insider
The Russian Woodpecker Plot Summary
What happens in The Russian Woodpecker from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
The Russian Woodpecker is a compelling documentary that explores the life of Fedor Alexandrovich, a Ukrainian artist who transitions from an idealistic young revolutionary to a fearful citizen in a nation spiraling toward chaos. At the heart of the narrative lies an enormous, secret Soviet antenna located near Chernobyl, constructed during the peak of the Cold War to monitor the United States. Fedor’s fascination with this colossal structure symbolizes his personal quest to uncover the truths surrounding the Soviet past and the implications of the Chernobyl disaster.
Full summary
The whole story of The Russian Woodpecker, scene by scene
The Russian Woodpecker Awards & Nominations
The Russian Woodpecker earned 1 award nomination, including Best Documentary Feature at the Spirit Awards 2016.
1 nomination1 ceremony
-
Spirit Awards 2016 1 nomination- Nominated Best Documentary Feature
How Well Do You Know The Russian Woodpecker?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Who is the main protagonist in The Russian Woodpecker?
The Russian Woodpecker Also Known As
3 alternative titles, including “Il complotto di Chernobyl - The Russian Woodpecker” and “Російський дятел”.
- Also known as
-
- Il complotto di Chernobyl - The Russian Woodpecker
- Російський дятел
- Le Pic-vert russe
Seen The Russian Woodpecker?
Movies Like The Russian Woodpecker
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Chernobyl, The Battle of Chernobyl and Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes.
-
Chernobyl 2019 -
The Battle of Chernobyl 2006 -
Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes 2022 -
Navalny 2022 -
Revealing Ukraine 2019 -
Chernobyl: Zone of Exclusion 2019 -
Breaking Point: The War for Democracy in Ukraine 2018 -
Ukraine: Life Under Russia’s Attack 2022 -
20 Days in Mariupol 2023 -
The Russian Revolution 2017 -
Chernobyl: The Final Warning 1991 -
Citizen K 2019
The Russian Woodpecker FAQ: Awards, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, ratings, awards, post-credit scenes and language of The Russian Woodpecker, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Russian Woodpecker?
The Russian Woodpecker runs 1 hour 20 minutes (80 minutes).
When was The Russian Woodpecker released?
The Russian Woodpecker was released on October 16, 2015.
Who directed The Russian Woodpecker?
The Russian Woodpecker was directed by Chad Gracia.
How is The Russian Woodpecker rated?
The Russian Woodpecker has 6.7/10 on IMDb, 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, 74 on Metacritic and 63% on TMDB.
Was The Russian Woodpecker nominated for any awards?
The Russian Woodpecker received 1 nomination across 1 ceremony.
Does The Russian Woodpecker have a post-credit scene?
No. The Russian Woodpecker has no extra scene during or after the credits.
What language is The Russian Woodpecker in?
The original language of The Russian Woodpecker is Russian.
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