Aleksander Sokurov directed this unusual adaptation of a unique piece of Russian literature. Authors Daniil Granin and Ales Adamovich compiled a remarkable piece of oral history in the 1960s when they interviewed a number of survivors of the infamous siege of Leningrad during World War II, bringing together stories of terror and deprivation, but also the strength and resolve needed to survive the 900 days of fighting. In Citaem Blokadnuju Knigu (aka Reading Book of the Blockade), Sokurov brought a troupe of amateur actors into a recording studio and filmed them as they read passages from Granin and Adamovich's book. While the readers attempt to bring the stories to life, we know just enough about them to understand they're trying to make sense of tales of fear and dire circumstances that have no bearing on the lives they've led, forcing them to understand the true consequences of war and its impact on those who live through it. Citaem Blokadnuju Knigu was an official selection at the 2009 Venice International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi