Contemporary Russian Cinema

This 5-session course will present an overview of Russian cinema during four key periods of contemporary Russian history. The tentative film list is as follows:

1) The Gorbachev era and perestroika: Repentance (filmed in 1984, released in 1987), directed by Tengiz Abuladze
2) The Yeltsin era: Brother (1997), directed by Aleksei Balabanov
3) Putin’s first presidential term (1999-2008): Russian Ark (2002), directed by Alexander Sokurov
4) Putin’s second Presidential term (2012-present): Leviathan, (2014) directed by Andrei Zvyagintsev

The course will focus on the cultural and historical context in which the films were produced. All films are available for streaming and should be viewed at home before class. (Note: members will need access to Amazon Prime to view Brother. The other films are available on both YouTube and Amazon Prime.) Historical and other background materials will be provided in advance of each film discussion. We will discuss the films during class.

Class Recordings:

Class 1 - February 8

Class 2 - February 15

Class 3 - February 22

Class 4 - March 1

Class 5 - March 8

Group Leader: CATHY MANNICK
Venue: Online
Meets on: Tuesdays 10:00 am to noon
Starting: 2/8/2022
Sessions: 5
Class Size: 25
Teaching Style: Lecture and discussion
Weekly Preparation: 2 hours
Group Leader Biography:

Cathy Mannick is an angel investor and former international lawyer with 20 years of experience representing U.S. businesses in the former Soviet Union. She currently chairs the Advisory Board of the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University and is a trustee of the Museum of Russian Icons in Clinton, Massachusetts. Cathy earned her undergraduate degree in Russian Studies from Yale University and her J.D. from Harvard Law School. She also earned an M.A. in history from Harvard, where she was a tutor in the History and Literature Department focusing on early 20th century Russian and Soviet history.