Tag Archives: russian

A film review: “Volchok” [2009 Russia]

The title for Vasiliy Sigarev’s début feature “Volchok” [Eng. Title: Wolfy] refers to a spinning top, but it can also mean a wolf cub, and a way of describing a feral child. The depressing film is about the relationship between … Continue reading

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A review: “Nebesnye zheny lugovykh mari” [2013 Russia]

After taking us on a metaphysical journey into the unique customs and traditions of a distinct northern Russian tribe with his 2010 Ovsyanki aka Silent Souls, Aleksey Fedorchenko revisits the region and its people to inform us of some of … Continue reading

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A very brief review: “Detyam do 16…” [2010 Russia]

Andrei Kavun’s “Detyam do 16…” [Children below 16] is a romantic drama set in modern Russia. On this occasion, the review is going to be brief because the film is aimed at a local audience of a certain age, and … Continue reading

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A Glasnost-borne satire: “Gorod Zero” [1989 USSR]

Alice in Wonderland meets Franz Kafka in Karen Shakhnazarov’s surreal dark comedy “Gorod Zero” [Eng. Title: City Zero] – a biting satire on a Soviet system resolutely chained to inertia and bureaucracy against the blowing winds of change. The film … Continue reading

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Muscovite fetishes seen through lens: “Intimnye mesta” [2013 Russia]

Writer-directors Alexey Chupov and Natasha Merkulova’s début feature “Intimnye mesta” [Eng. Title: Intimate Parts] is an amusing observation of the sexual mores and fetishes among a group of urban Russians. Principal character Ivan (Yuriy Kolokolnikov) – a photographer, is preparing … Continue reading

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