THE SKY IS CALLING: THE DISTRIBUTION OF SOVIET SCIENCE FICTION FILMS IN THE UNITED STATES DURING THE SPACE RACE YEARS

This doctoral thesis, titled The Sky Is Calling: The Distribution of Soviet Science Fiction Films in the United States During the Space Race Years, investigates a specific case study focused on a corpus of films centered around space exploration, produced in the Eastern Bloc following the historic launch of the Sputnik satellite in October 1957. These films were subsequently distributed within the Poverty Row circuit2 in the United States, disguised as American productions, during the late 1950s and early 1960s by the U.S. company American International Pictures. The case study constitutes an example of how Soviet cultural products made their way into the U.S., highlighting the multifaceted, and sometimes illicit, role of unofficial cinematic diplomacy within the broader context of Cold War culture.