A documentary celebrating the story behind the cult film Letter to Brezhnev is now available to watch on YouTube.
Road to Letter to Brezhnev was specially commissioned as part of Made on Merseyside 2, an exhibition at Kirkby Gallery that celebrated Knowsley’s creative talent and cultural history in 2025.
The documentary looks back at the making of Letter to Brezhnev, which first premiered at the Kirkby Centre more than 40 years ago, in 1985.
Written by Kirkby-born writer Frank Clarke, Letter to Brezhnev became a much-loved British film, known for its humour, warmth and with its story focussing on working-class lives and relationships. The movie was filmed at locations across the Liverpool City Region, including Knowsley.
Road to Letter to Brezhnev features interviews with some of the original cast and explores how the film came to be made, the people involved, and why it has remained so important to audiences over the years.
It reflects on what it was like to make the film on a tight budget, with local people and places at its heart. The documentary also captures the pride many involved still feel about the film and its lasting connection to the borough.
During Made on Merseyside 2, the documentary was shown at Kirkby Gallery for the full length of the exhibition. Making it available online now means even more people can enjoy and learn from this important piece of Knowsley’s creative history.
Watch the full documentary online here: The Road to Letter to Brezhnev (subtitled)
