Russian Cinema
Early films from the then Soviet Union had a shaky start due to the First World War and the October Revolution in 1917, but Lenin himself and later Stalin recognised the propaganda uses of the medium. At first, with the infrastructure in tatters and virtually no cinemas in which to screen films, shorts expounding communism were carried from place to place often accompanying live speakers. Once Moscow's first cinema was opened at the end of 1921, newsreels became common. But in 1924 Sergei Eisenstein's 'Strike' became the first true Soviet feature. The following year his 'Battleship Potemkin' was launched to great acclaim, highly propagandistic and towing the party line.
Tight restrictions on content continued up until Stalin's death in 1953 and it wasn't until the '60s and '70s that seminal Russian film makers like Andrei Tarkovsky, Sergo Paradjanov and Nikita Mikhalkov began to find their own voice.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the largely state-funded film industry all but disappeared and is only now beginning to find its feet once more. A few gems found their way to Alice's shelves from this period, such as 'Burnt By The Sun' (1994), 'Prisoner of the Mountains' (1996), and our one and only Estonian film is to be found in this section, for want of a better home, the darkly humourous 'Darkness in Tallinn' (1993). 2002 saw the release of 'Russian Ark' (pictured), shot in one take, it is the longest unedited film ever made.
Mad Love: Twilight of a Woman's Soul (1913) / After Death (1915) / The Dying Swan (1916)
5.3/10
Director: Evgenii Bauer
The films of Russian cinema pioneer Evgenii Bauer were thought to be lost until the dying days of the Soviet regime when 20 of his 80 films were recov... Read more
Destiny of a Man ( Fate of a Man ) (1959)
8.1/10
Director: Sergei Bondarchuk
Starring: Sergei Bondarchuk, Pavel Boriskin, Zinaida Kirienko, Pavel Volkov
The story of a man (Andrey Sokolov) whose life was ruthlessly crippled by World War II. Sergei Bondarchuk directs and acts in this screen adaptation o... Read more
The Lighthouse (Mayak) (2006)
7.5/10
In the 90s, Lena returns to the home of her grandparents in a tiny, war-torn village in Armenia. Lena begs them to follow her lead and retreat to the... Read more
Ashik Kerib (1988)
7.5/10
Director: Sergei Paradjanov
Starring: Yuri Migoyan, Sofiko Chiaureli
Based on a story by Russian author Mikhail Lermontov, Ashik Kerib has the texture of an ancient, oft-told tale. Yuri Mgoyan stars as a wandering troub... Read more
Iron Fury (T-34) (2018)
6.5/10
The Great Patriotic War is going on. Junior Lieutenant Nikolay Ivushkin in a small truck, along with the driver Vasya, barely survived, break away fro... Read more
The Legend of Suram Fortress (1985)
7.5/10
Director: Sergei Paradjanov
Starring: Levan Outchanechvili, Zourab Kipchidze, Yuri Goyan, Veronika Metonidze, Levan Na...
THE LEGEND OF SURAM FORTRESS (1985) - Based on an ancient legend, this dazzling film follows repeated efforts by the Georgian people to construct a de... Read more
The Conquest of Siberia (2019)
5.8/10
A young officer, Ivan Demarin, is sent to the depths of Siberia. Here Ivan meets his first love and, together with his regiment, finds himself drawn i... Read more
Cosmoball (2020)
4/10
An enormous spaceship hovers over Earth-this is a stadium, which hosts sports events that resemble soccer but at mind-boggling speeds. The name of the... Read more
Hard to Be a God (Blu-ray) (2013)
6.6/10
Director: Aleksei German
Starring: Leonid Yarmolnik, Yuriy Tsurilo, Natalia Moteva, Aleksandr Chutko
Aleksey German directs this Russian-language sci-fi drama following the journey of a group of scientists who have been selected to travel to another p... Read more
Beginning (2020)
6.6/10
Director: Dea Kulumbegashvili
In a sleepy provincial town, a Jehovah's Witness community is attacked by an extremist group. In the midst of this conflict, the familiar world of Yan... Read more