Documentary exploring the influence of a small number of 1920s & 1930s Russian films on the growth of British documentary-making. Due to the national & political circumstances of the time, only a small number of Russian films were shown in Britain during the 1920s & 1930s. The few that were, however, were extremely influential. This film analyses the importance of early Russian films in shaping British documentaries by comparing & contrasting Viktor Turin's 1929 ' Turksib' with subsequent British documentaries, including ' Night Mail' 1936, & the work of such filmmakers as John Grierson, Paul Rotha, Harry Watt & Basil Wright.