The footage belongs to an archive that exists at the leningrad documentary film studio and this studio is one of the oldest documentary film studios. Sergei loznitsas movie austerlitz observes tourists in. I first encountered sergei loznitsas work at the cannes film festival in 2010. The trial sergei loznitsa retrospectives program 2019. It was screened out of competition at the 72nd edition of the venice film festival. When a group of topranking economists and engineers are accused of plotting a coup against the soviet government, the court alleges that they made a secret pact with the french prime. Sergei loznitsa doc state funeral to depict terrifying. The films of ukraines sergei loznitsa invite a closer. Loznitsa structures his film, without voiceover, so that his audience must glean what information it.
In the event, we see the unravelling of a history recent and significant enough to be of intense fascination the sharp, monochrome cinematography also lends a certain verite urgency to the narrative. Director sergei loznitsa on digging through soviet archives. How does a crowd react to an historic event when certainties are shaken. It often feels like a warning cry directly addressed to the here and now. The event is in many respects a logical followup to maidan, and attentive viewers will detect certain formal and ideological echoes. Sergei loznitsas the event 2015, which is receiving an exclusive global online premiere on mubi, is showing from august 4 september 3, 2017 as a special discovery. He grew up in kiev, and in 1987 graduated from the kiev polytechnic with a degree in applied mathematics. Loznitsa has directed 19 internationally acclaimed documentary films and 4 feature films, all of which were premiered in the official selection of cannes film festival. As president gorbachev was detained by the coup leaders, staterun tv and radio channels, usurped. Loznitsas last fiction feature, donbass, has been nominated for five of ukraines national film awards, the golden dzigas, including for best film, best director and best screenplay. An attempted coup by reactionary communists embroiled muscovites at the time in chaos and euphoria, fear and debate. Filmed on the territory of former concentration camps at sachsenhausen in germany, austerlitz which takes its title from the final masterpiece by the great novelist w. The ussr collapsed soon after, and the tricolour of the sovereign russian federation flew over kremlin. The event sergei loznitsa retrospectives program 2019.
Sep 15, 2015 ukrainian director sergei loznitsa maidan, my joy discusses his latest nonfiction film, the event, which received its north american premiere at the toronto international film festival, during which this interview was conducted by christopher heron. Reminiscent of loznitsas 2006 film blockade about the disastrous nazi siege of leningrad, the event is comprised entirely of ashen blackandwhite archival footage shot in. Documentary maker loznitsa collected tv and amateur footage of street protests in 1991. In 19871991 sergei worked as a scientist at the kiev institute of cybernetics, specializing in artificial intelligence research. In the strikingly visual, awardwinning factory, loznitsa and his film crew observe the inner workings and rhythms at a factory during the course of one day. Sep 24, 2019 for ukrainian director sergei loznitsa, documentary film is a tool to pick through the shrapnel of the soviet union. Sep 07, 2015 perhaps the most serious of these movies is sobytie the event. Sebald is an observation of visitors to the memorial sites there. Sergei loznitsa in august 1991, a failed coup detat attempt led by a group of communists in moscow ended the 70yearlong rule of the soviets. A quarter of a century later, sergei loznitsa revisits the dramatic moments of august 1991 and casts an eye on the event which was hailed worldwide as the birth of russian democracy. After discovering a magical mask, an 11yearold aspiring wrestler enters a competition to become the next wwe superstar. Centred on the military coup that represented the death rattle of the ussr, the event is composed of footage from independent documentarians in the heart of what was leningrad. In 2010 his film my joy was selected for the main competition at the 2010 cannes film festival. Screening of sergei loznitsas documentary, the trial 2018.
Sergei loznitsa interview the event the seventh art. Following maidan, last years impeccable therevolutionislive bulletin from ukraine, sergei loznitsa returns to the foundfootage format with which he first came to international prominence. Filmed as if on a 1930s sound studio with blocky set pieces, loznitsas montage reveals the theatrical nature of the farce and emphasizes the show element of the trial, one replete with rapt spectators and dramatic performances by a host of actors prosecutors, witnesses, defendants, and judges alike. The films of ukraines sergei loznitsa invite a closer look. Between 1987 and 1991 he worked in the institute of cybernetics. Soon after, the ussr collapsed, ending the 70yearlong rule of the soviets. Sergei loznitsa, the netherlands belgium 2015, 74 min.
In august 1991 a failed coup detat attempt known as putsch led by a group of hardcore communists in moscow, ended the 70yearlong rule of the soviets. Sergei loznitsa, ukrainian film maker, was born on september, 5th 1964. Loznitsa structures his film, without voiceover, so that his audience must glean what information it can as and when it comes. Beautifully filmed, life, autumn presents a portrait of a small village in rural russia, near the city of smolensk, with its aging population. One of the biggest mysteries of such places is the motive that induces thousands of people to spend their summer weekends in former concentration camps. The masterclass is followed by the hungarian premier of sergei loznitsa the trial 2018 at 6 pm in blinken osa arany janos u. Sergei loznitsas disquieting new documentary austerlitz, which premieres at the venice international film festival, aims to show how the nazi concentration camps are experienced today.
Its the work of sergei loznitsa, a ukrainian director with sober things to say about russia as it is today. The trial 2018, a documentary by ukrainian filmmaker sergei loznitsa, uses a remarkable trove of found footage to reconstruct one of joseph stalins first show trials, which took place in 1930 in moscow. The 54th edition of the ann arbor film festival march 1520 starts tomorrow featuring over 200 films, videos an live performances in its programme. The new film from sergei loznitsa maidan, the event is a stark yet rich and complex portrait of tourists visiting the grounds of former nazi extermination camps, and a sometimes sardonic study of the relationship or the clash between contemporary culture and the sanctity of the site. Director sergei loznitsa on digging through soviet. Screening of sergei loznitsas documentary, the trial. This throughline gives the event a remarkable urgency. The event, with director sergei loznitsa in person film forum. Working exclusively with archive footage from leningrads palace square, loznitsa takes a reflective look at the attempted 1991 august putsch and the publics. The film consists of archival footage from leningrad during the failed coup detat attempt of august 1991, which was led by a group of communists in. Loznitsa delivers a masterful elaboration of that same theme in his most recent work, austerlitz, which first premiered at last years venice and toronto film festivals.
Mar 19, 2019 in 1997 loznitsa graduated from the russian state institute of cinematography vgik in moscow. The event is in many respects a logical followup to maidan, and attentive viewers will detect certain formal and ideological echoes centred on the military coup that represented. Aug 28, 2015 reminiscent of loznitsas 2006 film blockade about the disastrous nazi siege of leningrad, the event is comprised entirely of ashen blackandwhite archival footage shot in leningrad during. Archive footage in documentary cinema sergei loznitsas. Sebald is an observation of visitors to the memorial sites. The film is composed of blackandwhite images shot by eight cameramen in st. Loznitsa was born on 5 september 1964 in the city of baranovichi, in belarus. He was already assembling the collection when his assistant discovered hours of. Late in the film, loznitsa cuts from one speechmaker, appealing for. This carefully compiled documentary film transports viewers back to the confusion and optimism of august 1991. The event, with director sergei loznitsa in person. Its possible to describe sergei loznitsas foundfootage documentary the event with complete detachment. Dec 30, 2015 this throughline gives the event a remarkable urgency.
For ukrainian director sergei loznitsa, documentary film is a tool to pick through the shrapnel of the soviet union. Mar 03, 2019 feature documentary film the event 2015 revisits dramatic moments of august 1991 in the ussr, a failed coup detatattempt known as putsch premiered at venice film festival in 2015. Documentary austerlitz 2016, nominated for the best european documentary at european film awards 2017, is an observation of the visitors to a memorial site. Loznitsas documentary work has remained lesser known, but this is rapidly changing as a result of the directly political connotations of his most recent films. See also masterclass sergei loznitsa on fri 29 jan, 15. Sergei loznitsas the event makes a striking followup, if not strictly a companion piece, to his maidan, which documented the recent political protests in ukraine. Sergei loznitsas the event 2015, which is receiving an exclusive global online premiere on mubi, is showing from august 4 september 3, 2017 as a special discovery questions are only dangerous when you answer them. Maidan 2014, which documents the dramatic unfolding of the euromaidan protests of 20 and 2014 in kiev, and the event 2015, a compilation film about the antigovernmental. It was screened out of competition at the 72nd edition of the venice film festival references. Despite the shortage of basic necessities, life carries on.
Loznitsa initially set out to create a compilation of documentary footage of stalinera show trials. His 2012 film in the fog competed for the palme dor at the 2012 cannes film festival. In 1997 loznitsa graduated from the russian state institute of cinematography vgik in moscow. The event by sergei loznitsa at the ica by jagger biggs, 20191004. It exists from 192021 and they have a quite big archive. Its possible to describe sergei loznitsa s foundfootage documentary the event with complete detachment. The trial, a new film by the ukrainian director sergei loznitsa, depicts it as a spectacle, complete with audience reactions, set in a stunning marble hall with grand crystal chandeliers loznitsa initially set out to create a compilation of documentary footage of stalinera show trials. Tuesday, march 15, 2016 all day to sunday, march 20, 2016 all day. How did you get access to the footage for the event. Sergei loznitsa, ukrainian film maker, was born on september, 5th 1964 in baranovichi, ussr.
Feb 24, 2017 loznitsa delivers a masterful elaboration of that same theme in his most recent work, austerlitz, which first premiered at last years venice and toronto film festivals. The films press book uses the phrase three days that shook the world, a variation on john reeds classic nonfiction book about the 1917 october revolution, but loznitsa is clearly. After his documentary maidan, about the ukrainian revolution of 2014, sergei loznitsa now presents the foundfootage documentary the event, looking back at the rebellion which preceded the collapse of the ussr. Though i was busy watching student films and shorts as president of the cinefondation jury, i found some time to steal away and watch some other work in the official selection. The event iffr iffr international film festival rotterdam.
Ukrainian filmmaker sergei loznitsa follows his monumental documentary maidan with this foundfootage epic about the failed coup of august 1991 that signalled the fall of the soviet union. The trial, a new film by the ukrainian director sergei loznitsa, depicts it as a spectacle, complete with audience reactions, set in a stunning marble hall with grand crystal chandeliers. Sergei loznitsa is one of the most heralded filmmakers in europe, but is still little known in america. The state committee on the state of emergency, made up of communist hardliners, attempted a coup on 19 august 1991 and wanted to depose soviet.
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