Capturing the raucous atmosphere of their live performances, this frenetic globe-trotting history of the immigrant punk band Gogol Bordello is a firecracker of a documentary. Spanning the final days of the Soviet Union all the way to pre-9/11 New York, and ending with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Scream of My Blood: A Gogol Bordello Story is as much about how the world shaped Gogol Bordello as how the band shaped the world.

The filmmaker’s intimate access to the band through footage captured both on and offstage virtually turns the audience into an army of roadies and students, with Ukrainian-born frontman Eugene Hütz acting as the film’s guide and anchor. Hütz and other band members speak in depth about the cultural roots of their music, while Hütz in particular draws attention to his Romani family members and the influence that community has on him. Though the ongoing war in Ukraine has piqued America’s curiosity about Ukrainian culture, Scream of My Blood does not let that conflict define it.––Frederic Boyer

After the Premiere: A performance by Gogol Bordello.

Nate Pommer and Eric Weinrib