The Long Way Home is Michael Apted's (The UP Series, Incident at Oglala) rollicking, revealing documentary about Soviet underground rock star Boris Grebenshchikov's journey to the West in 1988 to make an album and bring it back home in the early, optimistic days of Glasnost. The film is a reminder of what might have been in Russia (and could yet be), and of the enduring power of music to raise spirits and resist tyranny and censorship.
Signed to CBS Records, Boris, who was fluent in English yet had never been outside the USSR, was soon sharing a stage in Montreal with Crosby, Stills & Nash and shuttling form Leningrad to New York, London, and Los Angeles for recording sessions with producer Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics and guest artists Annie Lennox, Chrissie Hynde, and Ray Cooper. But his rock 'n roll dreams turned bittersweet when the members of his long-time band, Aquarium, felt abandoned, and Boris' Russian fans became unsure about the English-language, electronic-infused songs he performed in Leningrad. Still, Boris remained optimistic at the end of his journey, believing that collaborations like he had experienced were harbingers of a new era for Russia. Sadly, this hope was short lived. The rise of oligarchy following the collapse of the Soviet Union ended the dreams of democracy and hundreds of thousands of Russians are now in exile, with Boris among them.
Remastered and available for the first time in over 30 years, this edition of The Long Way Home features a newly-produced epilogue co-directed by original producer Steven Lawrence and editor Susanne Rostock. This new chapter catches up with Grebenshchikov at 71 while living in London, tracing his musical renaissance following his American experience, and expounding upon his exile from Russia following his outspoken criticism of Putin's government and the war in Ukraine, which saw his music banned in his home country. Toggling between Boris' turbulent past and his triumphant present, the epilogue honors Apted's love of longitudinal storytelling, and celebrates the power of music as a force for activism and social critique.
FEATURING:
- Dave Stewart, musician / songwriter / record producer
- Annie Lennox, singer-songwriter
- Chrissie Hynde, singer-songwriter / musician
- Ray Cooper
- Crosby, Stills & Nash
- Aquarium
PRODUCER'S STATEMENT: "In 2024, when I decided to remaster The Long Way Home and get it back into the world, I had no idea if I'd succeed. The film had received critical acclaim for its UK broadcast in 1989, followed next year by a Sundance premiere then a VHS home video release in 1991. After that it disappeared from public view in the West.
If the Western marketplace had lost interest, the filmmakers had not. We knew The Long Way Home was not only a great rock & roll movie, but an intimate portrayal of a moment when Russians were emerging from 70 years of Communism and felt optimistic about a future free of tyranny. As such, it could serve as a reminder, especially to younger viewers who grew up after the Berlin Wall fell, of what might have been in Russia and what yet be post-Putin.
When I began my quest to revive The Long Way Home, my initial impulse was simply to make a 4K version. But Susanne Rostock, the film's editor, encouraged me to make a new short film about Boris' journey since 1989, that could serve as an epilogue. I realized this new piece would partially fulfill Michael's hope for a sequel and would also allow us to flash back to the original film, reflecting his love of longitudinal storytelling.
So, in January of 2025, I flew to London where Boris had moved permanently in 2022, after speaking out against Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Susanne joined as co-director and editor, her brilliance as a visual poet was key to crafting an eloquent epilogue that we hope shines a new light on Boris as one of the most gifted and inspiring singer-songwriters of the last 50 years and honors Michael Apted and the original film. We call the new version THE LONG WAY HOME: REMASTERED AND EXPANDED."
— Steven Lawrence
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