How the Beatles Rocked the Kremlin (2009): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2009, How the Beatles Rocked the Kremlin is a music, history and documentary film directed by Leslie Woodhead, running about 60 minutes. “The story of the Beatles' effect on the Soviet Union.” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. In August 1962, director Leslie Woodhead made a two-minute film in Liverpool's Cavern Club with a raw and unrecorded group of rockers called the Beatles. He arranged their first live TV appearances on a local show in Manchester and watched as the Fab Four phenomenon swept the world. Twenty-five years later while making films in Russia, Woodhead became aware of how, even though they were never able to play in the Soviet Union, the Beatles' legend had soaked into the lives of a generation of kids. This film meets the Soviet Beatles generation and hears their stories about how the Fab Four changed their lives, including Putin's deputy premier Sergei Ivanov, who explains how the Beatles helped him learn English and showed him another life. (Storyville)

Who’s in it. How the Beatles Rocked the Kremlin stars Artemiy Troitskiy as Himself - Russian rock commentator, Leslie Woodhead as Himself / narrator, George Martin as Himself and Kolya Vasin, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.5/10, How the Beatles Rocked the Kremlin has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch How the Beatles Rocked the Kremlin page.

If you liked it. Fans of How the Beatles Rocked the Kremlin tend to enjoy Whiplash, Coco, Green Book and The Legend of 1900.