BROTHER + ScreenTalk; GENERATIONS: RUSSIAN CINEMA OF CHANGE
Russia 1997 Dir Aleksey Balabanov 96 min
Bruising realism brings to life the story of a restless and naïve young man in lawless post-Soviet Russia.
This 90s cult classic is centred on the iconic figure of Danila Bagrov (Sergey Bodrov Jr.) as he leaves the army, arriving in St. Petersburg to meet his brother. Blazing Russian rock music serves as a fitting soundtrack to his descent into crime and immersion in the city’s nightlife.
An atmosphere of hostility and emptiness arose in early post-Soviet Russia, as the fallen regime was replaced by monumental chaos, crime and poverty. Gangsters and musicians ruled, and brute force became the most valuable commodity.
Brother profoundly captures this mood – it became a huge hit in Russia and resonates with each new generation. The film, and its protagonist, have become an inspiration for young people, although many feel this is for the wrong reasons, with the film being accused of inadvertently promoting neo-nationalism.
Sat 29 Sep 2018
18:00, Barbican Cinema 2
ScreenTalk with Birgit Beumers, Anastasiia Fedorova and Dasha Selyanova. Moderated by Olya Sova
Birgit Beumers is Professor in Film Studies at Aberystwyth University (Wales, UK). She specialises on Russian culture, especially theatre and cinema. She is an editor of KinoKultura (online) and Studies in Russian and Soviet Cinema.
Anastasiia Fedorova is a writer, curator and cultural critic based in London. She is a regular contributor to Dazed, i-D, GARAGE, 032c, The Guardian, Wallpaper* Magazine Highsnobiety and SHOWstudio among other titles. Along with Ekow Eshun, she was co-curator of Calvert 22 Foundation’s exhibition "Post-Soviet Visions: image and identity in the new Eastern Europe".
Dasha Selyanova, b. Saint-Petersburg, is a founder of a clothing label ZDDZ London. The brand works with slogans and imagery that make political and social commentary. Dash's short films for the brand have become the main tool that communicates the message to the audience and addresses issues such a teen anxiety, iPhone addiction, etc.
