What Is Farewell, America! About?
The premise of Farewell, America! in 330 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In a restless post‑war Moscow where triumphal parades mask a simmering undercurrent of intrigue, an unfinished work by Oleksandr Dovzhenko turns the polished façades of diplomatic life into a darkly comic tableau. The film’s satirical lens, drawn from Annabel Bukar’s 1949 exposé, lenses the interior of the U.S. Embassy as a micro‑cosm of Cold‑War paranoia, blending the grand pageantry of Victory celebrations with the whispered rustle of classified paperwork. Its visual style leans toward stark chiaroscuro, juxtaposing the glitter of Red Square against the cramped, fluorescent‑lit offices where official narratives are bent and reshaped.
At the heart of this bureaucratic circus arrives Anna Bedford, a wide‑eyed journalist from a modest Pennsylvania farm who is dispatched to the Soviet capital as part of a cultural‑exchange program that quickly reveals its covert purpose. Her first steps into Moscow’s streets coincide with the jubilant chanting of war heroes, and a chance encounter with Professor Gromov—a warmly eccentric academic—offers her an invitation into the city’s private salons, a subtle cue from embassy superiors that personal connections are tools of intelligence work.
Within the embassy’s gleaming corridors, a newly installed ambassador, General Walter Scott, promulgates a stark doctrine: every diplomatic action must serve the twin aims of gathering secrets and countering Soviet influence. This edict creates a palpable tension between the outward courtesy of diplomatic ceremony and the inward churn of espionage. Among the staff, the head of the information department, Armand Haward, stands out as a reluctant guardian of factual integrity, quietly challenging the tide of fabrication that threatens to swallow the truth.
As the film unfolds, Anna navigates a maze of expectations, propaganda, and personal conscience, finding herself pulled between allegiance to her homeland and the stark realities she observes behind the embassy’s gilded doors. The mood is one of sly absurdity, where humor and unease coexist, inviting the audience to question the true cost of diplomatic performance in an era where peace feels like a brief intermission before the next grand production.
What Happens in Farewell, America!?
The complete story of Farewell, America!, from the first scene to the last, in 318 words (about 1 minute). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 2 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
In 1945, Anna Bedford, Liliya Gritsenko, a young American journalist from a farming family in Pennsylvania, is assigned to work at the U.S. Embassy in the Soviet Union. She arrives in Moscow during the celebrations of the Soviet victory in World War II. While attending the festivities in Red Square, Anna meets Professor Gromov, who invites her to his home. The embassy leadership instructs Anna to use this connection to gather intelligence for the CIA.
A year passes as the postwar period unfolds. A new ambassador, General Walter Scott, arrives at the embassy, bringing a directive that all staff must focus exclusively on intelligence gathering and anti-Soviet activities:
Peace is merely a short interval allowed for preparation for the next war, which will establish the American way of life worldwide.
Anna grows increasingly disillusioned with the embassy’s methods. Reports she gathers during her travels to Armenia and Ukraine are distorted to fit propaganda narratives. Amid the lies and suspicion, she finds an ally in Armand Haward, Nikolai Gritsenko, the embassy’s information department head, who refuses to compromise the truth. Haward’s integrity leads to his recall to Washington, coinciding with Anna learning of her mother’s death. The two return to the U.S., but Haward faces trial upon arrival. Though acquitted, he is mysteriously murdered in a bar shortly afterward.
Anna is summoned back to Moscow and tasked with writing a fabricated book about oppression in the Soviet Union and falsely claiming Haward’s murder was orchestrated by communists. Instead, Anna defects, causing panic within the embassy.
The uncovered footage ends here, but the script reveals that Anna later becomes a Soviet citizen and publishes an exposé about the activities of American diplomats. She finds a new homeland in the USSR, where she can work and live freely.
The planned finale would mirror the iconic scene from Circus, with Anna marching through Red Square among celebratory crowds during a national holiday.
Farewell, America! Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
14 key events in the order they happen, from “Arrival in Moscow during Victory Celebrations” to “Planned finale: Red Square parade”. 14 events name a place, across 11 locations.
- 1
Arrival in Moscow during Victory Celebrations
Anna Bedford, a young American journalist from Pennsylvania, arrives in Moscow as victory celebrations sweep the city. She meets Professor Gromov, who invites her to his home. The encounter hints at the covert paths she will later tread in relation to Soviet circles.
When:1945 Where:Moscow (Red Square)
- 2
Embassy assigns Anna to gather CIA intelligence
Back at the U.S. Embassy, leadership instructs Anna to use her connection with Gromov to gather intelligence for the CIA. She steps into a covert role, balancing journalistic work with espionage. The directive marks the start of her double life.
When:1945 Where:U.S. Embassy, Moscow
- 3
Gromov invites Anna to his home
Gromov invites Anna to his home, deepening their acquaintance and trust. The informal meeting provides access to sensitive information. This connection solidifies the pathway for future intelligence gathering.
When:1945 Where:Gromov's home, Moscow
- 4
Policy shift with new ambassador
A year passes and a new ambassador arrives, General Walter Scott, bringing hardline directives. He orders staff to prioritize intelligence gathering and anti-Soviet activities and declares that peace is only a brief lull before the next war. The stance marks a dramatic change in embassy operations.
When:1946 Where:U.S. Embassy, Moscow
- 5
Disillusionment and distorted reports
Anna grows increasingly disillusioned as the embassy presses for propaganda-driven narratives. Her reports from Armenia and Ukraine are distorted to fit predetermined narratives. She begins questioning the integrity of what she is delivering.
When:1946-1947 Where:Armenia and Ukraine (travels)
- 6
Armand Howard as ally; recall and a mother's death
Armand Howard, the embassy's information department head, becomes an ally who refuses to compromise the truth. His integrity strengthens Anna's resolve as they navigate the mission together. His recall to Washington coincides with Anna learning of her mother's death.
When:1946-1947 Where:Moscow, then Washington
- 7
Return to the U.S.; trial looming
Anna and Howard return to the United States. Howard faces trial upon arrival, a consequence of the unfolding political pressures. The move heightens the stakes for both of them.
When:1947 Where:United States
- 8
Howard's acquittal, then murder
Howard is tried but acquitted, only to be murdered in a bar shortly afterward under mysterious circumstances. His death deepens Anna's distrust of the covert world they inhabit. The incident catalyzes a shift in Anna's loyalties.
When:1947-1948 Where:Washington, D.C.
- 9
Summoned back to Moscow; fabricated book order
Anna is summoned back to Moscow and tasked with writing a fabricated book about oppression in the Soviet Union. She is pressured to falsely claim that Howard's murder was orchestrated by communists. The assignment tests her resolve and conscience.
When:1948 Where:Moscow, U.S. Embassy
- 10
Defection triggers embassy panic
Rather than complying, Anna defects, causing panic within the embassy. Her decision destabilizes the operation and signals a turning point in her story. The scene marks a decisive break from her previous loyalties.
When:1948 Where:Moscow
Show the other 4 events of Farewell, America! Hide the last 4 events
- 11
Uncovered footage hints at Anna's future in the USSR
The uncovered footage ends here, but the script reveals that Anna later becomes a Soviet citizen and publishes an exposé about American diplomats. This pivot reframes her life from a target of espionage to a voice within the Soviet system.
When:Late 1940s Where:Soviet Union
- 12
Anna's new homeland and life in the USSR
She finds a new homeland in the USSR, where she can work and live freely. The narrative implies a new identity and purpose within Soviet society. Her transformation marks a departure from her earlier role as a foreign operative.
When:Late 1940s - Early 1950s Where:Soviet Union
- 13
Exposé on American diplomats
She publishes an exposé about the activities of American diplomats, asserting a critical counter-narrative to her earlier role. The work positions her as a controversial but influential figure within the new homeland.
When:Early 1950s Where:Soviet Union
- 14
Planned finale: Red Square parade
The planned finale would mirror the iconic Circus moment, with Anna marching through Red Square among celebratory crowds during a national holiday. It represents an aspirational ending for her story within the Soviet Union. The scene exists as a proposed future rather than an actual event in the timeline.
When:Planned finale (fictional future) Where:Red Square, Moscow
Who Are the Main Characters in Farewell, America!?
5 characters, among them Anna Badford — Liliya Gritsenko, Armand Haward — Nikolai Gritsenko and General Walter Scott: who each one is and the part they play in the story. 3 of them link to the actor’s page.
- AB
Anna Badford — Liliya Gritsenko
Played by Liliya Gritsenko
A young American journalist from a Pennsylvania farming family who is assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. She grows disillusioned by distorted reports, confronts the moral costs of espionage, and ultimately defects, seeking a life built on truth rather than propaganda.
- 💼 Journalist
- 🕊️ Truth-seeker
- AH
Armand Haward — Nikolai Gritsenko
Played by Nikolai Gritsenko
Head of the embassy's information department and an ally to Anna who refuses to distort the truth. His integrity is tested by recalls to Washington and his eventual murder in a bar, signaling the deadly stakes of information warfare.
- 🧭 Integrity
- 🕊️ Loyal ally
- GW
General Walter Scott
The new ambassador whose directive channels staff toward intelligence gathering and anti-Soviet activities, pushing a hardline stance that frames postwar relations in terms of conflict.
- 🏛️ Diplomat
- 🎖️ Military
- PG
Professor Gromov
A Soviet intellectual whose presence hints at a more nuanced human side of life beyond politics and espionage, inviting Anna into a different facet of Soviet society.
- 🧠 Scholar
- 🏠 Host
- RY
Rostislav Yurenev — Himself (Introduction)
Played by Rostislav Yurenev
Appears in an introductory role, framing the film's early atmosphere and setting the stage for the espionage drama that follows.
- 🎬 Introduction
- 🎭 Cameo
Where and When Is Farewell, America! Set?
Farewell, America! is set in Moscow, Red Square, Armenia, Ukraine, Pennsylvania, United States (Mid-1940s (1945-1946)). Here is why the time and place matter to the story.
When
Mid-1940s (1945-1946)
The film begins in 1945, at the end of World War II, during Moscow's victory celebrations. A year into the postwar era, the political climate tightens as new leadership expands control over information and intelligence. The time frame spans the early Cold War atmosphere, where loyalties and truths are tested. The tense environment hinges on shifting alliances and the moral choices characters must make under pressure.
Where
Moscow, Red Square, Armenia, Ukraine, Pennsylvania, United States
The action unfolds primarily in Moscow, foregrounding the Soviet postwar celebrations in Red Square. The embassy yard and backchannels connect Washington with the USSR, tying the US to the people and the state. Armenia and Ukraine are visited regions where Anna gathers reports that are later shaped into propaganda. The story also traces Anna's roots in Pennsylvania and the broader American setting she aims to return to.
- 🗺️ Moscow
- 🎉 Red Square celebrations
- 🧭 Armenia
- 🌍 Ukraine
- 🏞️ Pennsylvania
What Are the Themes of Farewell, America!?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Espionage, Propaganda vs Truth and Integrity.
-
01
Espionage
Anna is drawn into intelligence work under the embassy's directive, using her journalism background as cover to gather information for the CIA. The embassy's network and travels to Armenia and Ukraine illustrate how espionage跨 borders. The story explores the personal risks and ethical decisions involved in spycraft within a tense geopolitical landscape.
-
02
Propaganda vs Truth
Reports are distorted to fit propaganda narratives, blurring fact and fiction. Anna and Armand resist official distortions while facing institutional pushback. The plot shows how information becomes a weapon to shape public opinion in both wartime and postwar contexts.
-
03
Integrity
Armand's insistence on truth, even at personal cost, contrasts with the embassy's expedient policies. Anna's decision to defect rather than publish a false account marks a turning point toward moral responsibility over allegiance to a state. The characters' commitment to accuracy ultimately clashes with the machinery of power.
What Kind of Film Is Farewell, America!?
Tense in tone, with steady pacing and a straightforward story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Tense
- Pacing
- Steady
- Story
- Straightforward
- Intensity
- Medium
- Ending
- Happy
A tense and propagandistic Cold War drama that follows a journalist's growing disillusionment within a claustrophobic embassy atmosphere, culminating in a definitive act of political defiance.
- tense
- propagandistic
- disillusioned
- paranoid
- ideological
- clandestine
- cold war
- political propaganda
- espionage
- ideological awakening
Content notes: political persecution, murder.
Quiz
How well do you remember Farewell, America!? Test yourself on the story.
