The Cinema of the Republics (Marcel Schwierin)

Each of the 16 Socialist Soviet republics had at least one film studio. Although all filmmakers studied at the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography in Moscow, many then returned home and developed a particular film language that combined international and Soviet cinema with their country's specific pictorial traditions. However, albeit unique in the history of cinema, this communication between the center and the periphery, it has not received much attention until now. Because of the particular significance that Soviet cinema had for Arsenal there are films from all of the USSR's regions in its archive. The Living Archive festival programs are showing 20 films – half of which are features, half documentaries - from 10 republics that were made between 1930 and 1990. The main focus is on Georgian film and the very innovative short format. Classics such as Kalatozov's JIM SHVANTE and Parajanov's SAYAT NOVA, as well as films that have rarely been seen in the cinema such as Peleshian's OBITATELI, Muratova's PEREMENA UTCHASTI Chkheidze's BENZINIS CHAMOMSKHMELI, and Tyulkin's POVELITEL MUKH are being screened. Thus, the cinema of the republics will become an imaginary journey through the Soviet Union's unique imagery. (9.–18.6.)