The Freedom Factory
Ksenia Buksha, translated by Anne O. Fisher

The Freedom Factory tells the story of a real military factory in Saint Petersburg, recounted in the form of monologues collected from its anonymized workers, managers, and engineers. The Freedom Factory is not exactly realism: it combines poetry and documentary in unique proportion to convey the atmosphere of the absurd, harsh, and magnetic factory floor. Sometimes the narrative comes very close to everyday speech, sometimes it evolves into lyricism or grotesque humor, but it always remains sincere. The Freedom Factory recounts life stories and love stories, military secrets and anecdotes, work and leisure, as the many voices of the factory merge into a chorus.