Khrushchev does America

The "American way of life" was at its peak in the USA in the 1950s. The only shadow cast over this nation was the leader of the world's largest country, the USSR. For every American, Nikita Khrushchev was the enemy.

President Eisenhower, nearing the end of his second term, invited Khrushchev for a 13-day state visit in the autumn of 1959. Although the country was experiencing unparalleled economic prosperity, it was still divided between the segregated South and the rest of the country. The race to conquer space, the Russian stranglehold on part of Berlin, and the constant fear of nuclear war all played a major role on the international scene. Khrushchev's arrival on American soil, and the millions who followed his visit, served to turn American opinion against what was then their number 1 enemy.

From the East to the West Coast, using archival footage and Khrushchev's own testimony from his biography, this documentary recounts the historic journey of the Russian leader's discovery of America, the curiosity he attracted, and his feelings about American capitalism.