Chelovek idyot za solntsem

Six-year-old Sandu finds out from a playmate of the same age that he can circumnavigate the whole world by following the sun. He makes this idea a reality and thus begin a visually playful, fascinating odyssey through the realm of childhood dreams and hopes, of colors and symbols, with intoxicating music and images in constant motion, upside down and reflected. “This film was once the manifesto of the so-called ‘shestidesjatniki’ [sixties]. It reflects their credo – the belief that people are essentially good, notwithstanding the evil that exists in the world and sometimes even dominates it” (Naum Kleiman) This film by Jewish director Mikhail Kalik was internationally acclaimed, but treated with hostility by the Soviet cultural functionaries. Their criticism reached its highpoint in the accusations that “If people follow the sun, it means they’re going to the West!” (nf/gv)