The films of Ukranian director Sergei Loznitsa (b. 1964) are rooted in the rich tradition of avant-garde documentary so central to the history of Soviet cinema. After graduating in 1997 from the intensely selective Russian State Institute of Cinematography in Moscow, Loznitsa directed a series of striking and celebrated short films as a member of the legendary St. Petersburg Documentary Film Studio.
Free of any kind of voice over or explanatory devices, Loznitsa’s short documentaries are instead pure cinematic poems whose subtle arguments are made through careful montage and arresting imagery which captures both the quickening pulse of Russia in the midst of the profound political and socio-cultural transition, and the deeper echoing rhythms of history.
Please visit Sergei Loznitsa’s website for more details on the movie.
(via russianartandculture.com)
Our first film in the series of monthly Saturday screenings of Russian films (with english subtitles), with introductions and discussions in Russian and English.
Introduction:
Natalia Rubinstein, journalist and literary critic, tells about the siege of Leningrad as a phenomenon of the post-war consciousness of Russians and its numerous reflections in literature and cinema. Translation in english: Lyudmila Razumova.
Anglo–Russian Culture Club 