Russian Cinema

Catalog description

This course surveys filmmaking in pre-Revolutionary, Soviet, and post-communist Russia as well as other regions of the USSR from the avant-garde era to the years following the Soviet Union's collapse. It highlights major works by renowned directors such as Dziga Vertov, Sergei Eisenstein, Grigori Aleksandrov, Mikhail Kalatozov, Sergei Parajanov, Andrei Tarkovsky, and others mapping cinematic developments onto key historical events and cultural trends. Special attention is given to the portrayal of ethnic minorities and cultural "others" in Soviet and modern Russian cinema. The course also serves as an introduction to film analysis and criticism. It is taught entirely in English, and no prior knowledge of Russian history, culture, or film is required.