A conversation at New York Comic-Con 2025 with director Timur Bekmambetov has reignited debate about the historical impact of technology, as Bekmambetov provocatively argued that the humble VHS machine was instrumental in undermining the Soviet Union’s regime. His remarks have spurred discussion across social and entertainment circles about the power of analog technology to drive sweeping social change.
A Conversation at NYCC Goes Viral
During a panel discussion to promote his upcoming film “Mercy,” Bekmambetov offered an unexpected historical analysis, contending that the widespread distribution of VHS cassettes in the USSR provided ordinary citizens access to Western and underground media that circumvented state censorship. In his view, this allowed Soviet citizens to witness alternative perspectives and realities, setting the groundwork for subtle but powerful resistance to official propaganda.
Bekmambetov explained that, unlike overt political protests or economic reforms, the quiet proliferation of VHS tapes in Soviet households wore away at the regime’s ideological monopoly from within. With the ability to record, copy, and share films, music, and documentaries, citizens could explore different ways of life and begin to question the state’s narrative. The director described this effect as an “invisible crack” in the Soviet edifice — the beginning of a cultural and intellectual shift that would help topple one of the twentieth century’s most powerful regimes.
The remarks challenge conventional histories that center economic failure or political reform as the primary drivers behind the USSR’s collapse. Instead, Bekmambetov reinvigorated the notion of “soft power,” suggesting that simple, analog technology enabled widespread cultural agency, ultimately leading to political transformation. His thesis is already attracting considerable attention for its innovative reframing of both media history and the mechanisms of social change.
