Web Resources - Print Resources - Media Resources |
| OSU Center for Slavic and East European Studies |
| Recommended because Ohio State University has probably the largest collection of East European Videos in the US that loans to educators throughout the US free of charge. To borrow films, call (614) 292-8770, or write to Maryann Walther-Keisel. Start by reading the Center's liberal lending policy. Be aware of the fact that videos are indexed by country and subject and are listed alphabetically. Large number of documentaries, but there are even more feature films. In addition, you can find a list of films by topic for an easier search. |
| Indiana University Russian and East European Institute |
| Recommended because Indiana University has a fine collection of videos which are loaned to teachers without cost. The collection is especially strong when it comes to documentary films. Films are categorized by genre and country. Start by reading the Institute's lending policy. |
| A Force More Powerful: Poland |
| Recommended because it tells the story of how nonviolent power overcame oppression and authoritarian rule in Poland. In August 1980, workers at the Gdansk shipyard went on strike. Their main demand, free trade unions, was unprecedented in a country where communist party supremacy did not allow the existence of any independent organizations. Lech Walesa, a wily 37-year-old electrician, was the chief negotiator for the workers, who avoided the mistakes of earlier strikes by maintaining strict nonviolent discipline -- and by occupying their shipyard, to deter a violent crackdown by authorities. The strike quickly spread to factories and workers throughout the country, magnifying their leverage. Their persistence paid off as government granted most of their demands. A new union was born named "Solidarity" (31 minutes). Available for free loan from the Indiana University Russian and East European Institute (contact Denise Gardiner at reei@indiana.edu or call 812-855-7309), but apprarently out of print. |
| A Month in the Life of Ephtim D. (1999) |
| Recommended because this documentary takes a rare and intimate look at the life of Ephtim D., a 73-year-old pensioner and lifetime Communist living in Bulgaria following the collapse of the former Soviet Union. We follow Ephtim D. from the meager dinner table where he and his wife dine, to the park where he walks his dog and meets his friends, who still attend Socialist party meetings in Sofia and reminisce about the "good old days" under communism. Bulgarian with English subtitles and narration (56 minutes). Available for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $195. |
| After the Velvet Revolution (1993) |
| Recommended because this PBS broadcast provides a first-hand look at the reality of what happened to the people of the former Czechoslovakia in the first three years of democracy. The film follows the lives of five different families and individuals (58 minutes). Available for free loan from the Indiana University Russian and East European Institute (contact Denise Gardiner at reei@indiana.edu or call 812-855-7309). | |||
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| Against the Current (1988) |
| Recommended because this film was produced in Russia during the Gorbachev era, and it gives a Russian perspective on environmental problems caused by Soviet industrialization. Protesters who live near a synthetic protein plant are labeled extremists, but they continue their fight because they are convinced the air pollution is killing their children (27 minutes). In Russian with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $60. |
| Aleksandr Nevsky (1938) |
| Recommended because this is a historical drama of thirteenth-century Russian prince Alexander who lived peacefully under Mongol occupation, but led the fight against the invading Teutonic Knights at the Battle on the Ice. A powerful film, both for its historic and cultural value. Highly recommended. Directed by Sergei Eisenstein (black & white, 107 minutes). In Russian with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $30. |
| Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn: In Love with Mother Russia |
| Recommended because this is a video biography of the Russian writer. "I could not have invented my life better than it invented itself.... All I had to do was take possession of it to write about it." So says Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, a Nobel Laureate who has lived the terrible hardships of his landmark novels. In this gripping program, key figures such as Andrei Vassilievsky, the editor of Novy Mir; Nikita Struve, the first publisher of The Gulag Archipelago; and Solzhenitsyn himself, in a rare interview, discuss the events that have both stimulated and shaped a perilous lifetime of writing. Extracts from Archipelago and The Oak and the Calf drive home the harsh realities of life in the U.S.S.R. during the Stalin and Brezhnev regimes (49 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Films for the Humanities for $150. |
| Alexander Scriabin |
| Recommended because this is a biography of Russian composer who lived from 1872 to 1915 (30 minutes). In English. Part of the "Great Composer series," available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $20. |
| All Friends Here (Sami Swoi) (1967) |
| Recommended because this is the first in the trilogy of the most popular Polish film comedies: the adventures of two families, the Pawlaks and the Karguls (the other two films are "Take It Easy" and "Big Deal"). This film is set just after World War Two when the Pawlaks and the Karguls have moved from their poor little village in the eastern borderland of Poland to the Western Regained Territories. There they settle as neighbors, only to carry on the longstanding dispute they had while living in eastern Poland. The controversy had begun 40 years earlier when Kargul's cow strayed into Pawlak's field. Although they could make peace and work together in moments of common danger, these reconciliations never could be sustained -- until their children grew up and fell in love with each other. Directed by Sylwester Checinski (78 minutes). In Polish with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $40. | |||
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| An Introduction to Russian Literature (1975, 56 minutes) |
| Recommended because this video examines Russian history from the early nineteenth century to the present through the eyes of some of its major writers, including Pushkin, Gogol, Turgenev, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Pasternak, Blok, Akhmatova, and Solzhenitsyn. Available for free loan from the Indiana University Russian and East European Institute (contact Denise Gardiner at reei@indiana.edu or call 812-855-7309), but apparently out of print. |
| An Unforgettable Summer (1994) |
| Recommended because this is an unconventional love story set against a background of political confusion in post World War One Romania. Kristin Scott-Thomas is Marie-Therese, the young woman sent to a remote military outpost with her army officer husband and their children. She tries in vain to establish a genteel, civilized presence in this backward region. Ultimately she and her husband are thrown into conflict as he is ordered by his superiors to execute a local group of bandits that may or may not be guilty. Directed by Lucian Pintilie, stars Kristin Scott-Thomas (82 minutes). In Romanian with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $30. |
| Andrei Rublev (Strasti po Andreiu) (1966) |
| Recommended because set during the Mongol domination of Russia, this film is director Andrei Tarkovsky's critically acclaimed biography of the 15th century Russian monk and icon painter. Despite the poor technical quality of the film, it is recommended because many critics consider this movie to one of the ten best of all time (black & white with color sequence, 185 minutes). In Russian with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $20. |
| Anna (1994) |
| Recommended because it combines feature film and documentary in covering the late Soviet period. After filming his daughter Anna over the course of 13 years, director Nikita Mikhalkov (Burnt by the Sun) incorporated that footage with news reports and propaganda films that charted the collapse of the Soviet Union. The result is this intimate, emotionally charged documentary that shows how personal and political life are forever intertwined (99 min). In Russian with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $30. |
| Anna Akhmatova (1971) |
| Recommended because of the perspectives of this documentary on Anna Akhmatova (1888-1966), Russian poet adored by her countrymen and called by them "the soul of our time." Her life and work bridged the country's Tsarist and Revolutionary periods. Refusing to lend her prestige to Stalin's rule, she was expelled from the Soviet Writers' Union and for years suffered desperately. This program presents an overview of her life and work by Irene Moore, a founder of the American Stanislavsky Theater, who recites Akhmatova's poetry in Russian; and two academics who have written extensively on Akhmatova: Samuel Driver, professor at Brown University, and Irene Kirk, professor at the University of Connecticut. Also featured are many photographs of Akhmatova and her world. Kirk, one of the last Westerners to see the poet alive, tells of their meeting and of Akhmatova's secret book in her Moscow library where she kept notes of things she wanted to remember (28 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $90. | |||
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| Back to Chernobyl (1989) |
| Recommended because although it is somewhat dated now, this video is still a high-quality documentary investigating the adverse health effects of history's worst nuclear power plant accident three years after it occurred on April 26, 1986 in Chernobyl, Ukraine, USSR. Also shown is footage of the disaster itself. Produced by NOVA and PBS (60 minutes). Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly); not clear if it is available commercially. |
| Baltic States: Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia (1992) |
| Recommended because this is a fine travelogue tour of the Baltic states, including Lithuania's Trakai Castle, a tour of ancient Riga, and Estonia's festival of folk music (54 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $25. |
| Battleship Potemkin (Bronenosets Potemkin) (1925) |
| Recommended because this is a classic early Soviet film which commemorates a mutiny aboard a Russian warship anchored at Odessa, Russia, during the Revolution of 1905. Great for getting a sense of the Soviet perspective on 1905, the precursor to the successful communist revolution in 1917. As a bonus, the "Odessa Steps" scene is one of the most widely discussed sequences in film history. Directed by Sergei Eisenstein (black & white, 66 minutes). Silent with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $30. |
| Before Gorbachev: From Stalin to Brezhnev (1977) |
| Recommended because this film, which was made in the Soviet Union in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the October Revolution, documents the history of the USSR for those 60 years, emphasizing progress and the success of the communist system. Recommended as a crash course in 20th century Russian history from a Soviet point of view (50 minutes). Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), but is apparently out of print. |
| Before the Rain (1994) |
| Recommended because this remarkable film that shows both the beauty of Macedonia and the violence and hatred that exists between its ethnic Macedonian and Albanian peoples. In a monastery in Macedonia, a young man must abandon his vow of silence to save a girl from a mob. In London, a woman, torn between a loveless marriage and a passionate affair with a war photographer finds fate dictates a choice she could not make on her own. And in Yugoslavia, the photographer returns to a nation divided by religious hatred and violence. His effort to salvage some small portion of peace will have an impact no one could foresee, and bring all three stories full circle. Directed by Milcho Manchevski (112 minutes). In Macedonian with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), but is apparently no available commercially. | |||
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| Belgrade Ancient and New: Its History, Art, and Architecture (1992) |
| Recommended because this is a documentary focusing on the capital city of Serbia. Produced by Donya Schimansky, narrated by Mary Gaydos. In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), but apparently out of print. |
| Big Deal (Kochaj Albo Rzuc) (1978) |
| Recommended because this is the third in the comedy trilogy of the Pawlak and Kargul families' saga (the other two films are "All Friends Here" and "Take It Easy"). In this film, Pawlak and Kargul travel to the United States on the invitation of Pawlak's brother. Many humorous situations develop as the Polish pair encounters the strange customs of life in America (great for seeing how Poles view the US!). Directed by Sylwester Checinski (112 minutes). In Polish with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $40. |
| Bosnia: Peace Without Honor (1995) |
| Recommended because this is a program which traces the roots of the Bosnian conflict through the 1992-1995 efforts of America's Cyrus Vance and Britain's David Owen to negotiate a lasting peace. Both diplomats expose the role of world powers in brokering, mediating, and at times exacerbating the regional conflict. Owen attributes failures to establish an equitable regional government to the election of Bill Clinton and the resulting American foreign policy shifts, particularly the placement of UN troops in strategic Serbian sites. A BBC Production (40 minutes). Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Films for the Humanities for $100. |
| Bought & Sold: An Investigative Documentary About the International Trade in Women (1998, 42 minutes) |
| Recommended because this is an investigative documentary about the international trade in women, and includes new material from Global Survival Network's two-year undercover investigation into the traffic in women for prostitution out of Russia. This video includes undercover footage of meetings with the Russian mafia, interviews with women who were trafficked overseas and perspectives from experts from around the world about how to address the problem. Available for free loan from the Indiana University Russian and East European Institute (contact Denise Gardiner at reei@indiana.edu or call 812-855-7309); but apparently now out of print. |
| Brother (Brat) (1997) |
| Recommended because this is a film set in post-Soviet St. Petersburg. The story begins as a young soldier returns to civilian life by working with his older brother as a hired assassin. This film has become a cult classic in Russia. It is very good for getting a glimpse at the darker side of life in post-Soviet Russia, a life that is replete with drugs, gangsters, violence, and a lack of a sense of purpose (i.e., the changes that cause many older Russians to want to return to the "good old days" of communism when life was more orderly, there was less crime, and one did not see gangsters dining in restaurants or speeding by in foreign luxury cars. Even though this film portrays the "New" Russia, one should not think that this movie portrays "typical" life in Russia in the late 1990s. Directed by Aleksei Balabanov (95 minutes). In Russian with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $80. | |||
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| Budapest (1991) |
| Recommended because this is part of the "Great Cities of the World" series. From the founding of Obuda by Arpad the Magyar, the acquisition of the crown of St. Stephen, the erection and destruction of Mongol, Turkish, Renaissance, and Baroque monuments, the effort to combine European culture with Hungarian ethnicity amidst occupations, wars, and other countries' power plays--this is the story of Budapest, from the Dark Ages to the end of the Iron Curtain. Recommended for good for general historical background not just on Budapest, but for Hungary in general (40 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), apparently now out of print. |
| Budapest (1995) |
| Recommended because it is part of the "Super Cities" series. The video is a travelogue-type portrayal of the Hungarian capital which delves into the city's history and culture (30 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $10. |
| Burnt by the Sun (1994) |
| Recommended because this film is set in 1937 (at the height of Stalin's "Terror") in a country home just outside of Moscow. The film shows how the victims of Soviet repression came from all segments of Russian society. A very good film, but also quite complex, and it may be above the heads of most secondary school students. Winner of the 1994 Oscar for Best Foreign Film. Russian-French co-production (134 minutes). In Russian with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $20. |
| Calling the Ghosts (1996, 60 minutes) |
| Recommended because this is a film that tells the story of two women interned in the Serbian concentration camp of Omarska during the Bosnian conflict. Like other Muslim and Croat women interned there, Jadranka Cigelj and Nusreta Sivac were systematically tortured and humiliated by their Serb captors. Once released, both women turned their personal struggles into a larger fight for justice, aiding other women who were similarly brutalized. Cigelj and Sivac, both lawyers, successfully lobbied to have rape included in the international lexicon of war crimes by the UN Tribunal at Hague. In Serbo-Croatian with English subtitles. Available for free loan from the Indiana University Russian and East European Institute (contact Denise Gardiner at reei@indiana.edu or call 812-855-7309). |
| Carpathian Journey (1997) |
| Recommended because this film provides a way to vicariously travel through the most picturesque part of Ukraine, the famous Carpathian mountains and surrounding countryside, towns, and villages and come in contact with the people and animals that inhabit them. View the cities of Ivano Frankivsk and Kolomyya, the gateways to the Carpathian Mountains, Uzhhorod, Mukachiv, Yaremcha, Kosiv, Verkhovyna and Vyzhnytsia. Visit the colorful Kosiv Hutzul Arts and Crafts and Animal Bazaar. Observe the customs and traditions of the Hutzul people, their architecture and ancient way of life and take part in a typical Hutzul wedding (60 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Yevshan for $25. | |||
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| Central Asia: Kirghizstan & Uzbekistan (1997) |
| Recommended because this Lonely Planet video is a great introduction to two former Soviet republics in Central Asia. With host Ian Wright, the viewer is taken on a ride in an old Red Army helicopter, joins in evening entertainments including ram butting and wrestling, meets an eagle trainer, and participates in a horsetrek meeting nomadic shepherds. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Lonely Planet for $20. |
| Chapayev (1934) |
| Recommended because this is not only a Soviet film classic, but one of the most popular of all Soviet films as well. The story of a legendary Red Army commander during the Russian Civil War (1918-20), a hero whose popularity was all the greater because "he was a man of the people, unlettered but thirsting for knowledge -- like many of the film's viewers -- as well as witty and brave" (Richard Stites). Directed by Sergei and Georgi Vasiliev (94 minutes). In Russian with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $50. |
| Closely Watched Trains (1966) |
| Recommended because this is an ironic film about a young man on his first job in a small town railroad station. Set in Czechoslovakia during World War II and the Nazi occupation, this film is both funny and sad. Directed by Jiri Menzel (black & white, 89 minutes). In Czech with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $30. |
| Cold Days (1991) |
| Recommended because this is a drama based on the massacre of several thousand Jewish and Serbian people from the Novi Sad area during the Second World War. The film is structured around the memories and self-justifications of four men involved in the massacre as they await trial in 1946. Each, of course, denies his complicity or responsibility for the events -- either he was just obeying orders and thus had no choice in the matter, or, in one case, he simply helped dispose of the corpses rather than taking part in the killing. Directed by Andras Kovacs (102 min). In Hungarian with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $60. |
| Come and See (1985) |
| Recommended because this is a dramatization of the horrors of the Nazi-Soviet war in Belorussia which some have likened to Schindler's List in terms of its sobering impact. The destruction and human suffering in the USSR caused by the Second World War was on such a huge scale that it is difficult to comprehend; but no area of the former Soviet Union was more devastated by the war than Belorussia. This film graphically portrays the carnage and physical ruin that occurred there (131 minutes). In Russian with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $25. | |||
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| Commissar (1967) |
| Recommended because this film is based on Vasily Grossman's "In the Town of Berdichev". This classic film is recommended because it tells the story of a tough Bolshevik military commissar who must leave the Civil War front in the Ukraine to bear the child she had no time to abort (and whose father she shot for desertion without remorse). Her confinement in the home of a poor but happy Jewish family changes her life. Because of its unorthodoxy (depiction of a Bolshevik commissar having a child out of wedlock as well as its strong Jewish themes), the film was not released until 1987. Directed by Alexandr Askoldov (black & white, 105 minutes). In Russian with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $60. |
| Communism: Legacy of Pollution (1997, 25 minutes) |
| Recommended because in the wake of communism's decline in Eastern Europe, the environmental legacy of communism has been revealed. The Czech Republic, Poland, and Germany form a black triangle of aggressive air pollution with which these newly democratic states must now contend. This film outlines the work of the European Union to help these countries moderate their industrial pollution. Available for free loan from the Indiana University Russian and East European Institute (contact Denise Gardiner at reei@indiana.edu or call 812-855-7309), but apparently out of print. |
| Credo: The Russian Orthodox Church (1992) |
| Recommended because this film captures the sights and smells and other-worldly color of the revived Orthodox Church in Russia and traces its history, from oppression under Stalin to its newfound freedom. Some fascinating and often deeply moving interviews with families of believers complement the visual splendor of Church worship. The program also examines the new challenge to orthodoxy presented by the rival Catholic Church competing in a free market of souls (30 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Films for the Humanities for $90. |
| Crime and Punishment (Prestuplenie i nakazanie) (1970) |
| Recommended because this is a faithful rendition of the Dostoevsky novel, produced in Russia. Subtitles are white and at times are difficult to read. (black & white, 220 minutes). In Russian with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), but now out of print. |
| Czechoslovakia (Video Visits) (1991) |
| Recommended because this film is a great general introduction to Czechoslovakia. In this fairyland of medieval castles and architectural treasures, East meets West to weave a fascinating cultural tapestry. Uncover the valiant history that lies behind Czechoslovakia's struggle for democracy, tour the capital city of Prague with its historic Old Town Square, the Prague Castle, and the St. Vitus cathedral. Explore the Abyss of Macocha, and lose yourself in the vast interconnecting tunnels of Punkva Cave. Hope for good weather for a cable car ride up the High Tatra mountains of Slovakia. Listen to the haunting staccato of the shepherd's ancient fujara, and delight in the artistry of a contemporary puppet play. Experience this proud nation, and celebrate the awakening of its triumph and tradition (55 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $25. | |||
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| Dateline 1956: Budapest (1991) |
| Recommended because this film is a historical documentary exploring the national and international events that led to Hungary's brief period of freedom, and the November 4th Soviet military invasion that crushed the Hungarian revolution (23 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), but now out of print. |
| Dateline 1968: Czechoslovakia (1991) |
| Recommended because this is a documentary on Czech history beginning with the Prague Spring and ending with the Soviet suppression (23 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), but apparently out of print. |
| Dateline 1980: Gdansk (1991) |
| Recommended because this is a documentary focusing on the strike at the Lenin Shipyard to protest Communist rule and the deteriorating Polish economy. Growth of Solidarity under Lech Walesa is described (23 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), but apparently out of print. |
| Dateline 1985: Moscow (1991) |
| Recommended because this is a review of Soviet leaders preceding Gorbachev and an examination of Glasnost and Perestroika (23 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), but apparently out of print. |
| Dateline 1989: Hungary (1991) |
| Recommended because this is a historical documentary covering events from the 1956 uprising through the 1980's moves toward democratic reform (23 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), but apparently out of print. | |||
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| Dateline 1989: Prague (1991) |
| Recommended because this is a history of Czechoslovakia from the Soviet invasion of 1968 to the election of Vaclav Havel in 1989 (23 min). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), but apparently out of print. |
| Dateline 1989: Romania (1991) |
| Recommended because the events at Timisoara that led to Ceausescu's fall (23 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), but apparently out of print. |
| Diamonds in the Dark (1999) |
| Recommended because this is a documentary on women in post-Communist Romania. From a traditional village bordering Ukraine, to the relatively sophisticated city of Bucharest, this video tells the stories of ten Romanian women. We see and hear how they lived under the old regime, and how they are confronting the new problems of the post-communist era. Film by Olivia Carrescia (60 minutes). In English. Available for free loan from the Indiana University Russian and East European Institute (contact Denise Gardiner at reei@indiana.edu or call 812-855-7309), but apprarently out of print. |
| Diamonds of the Night (1964) |
| Recommended because this is a feature film on the Holocaust in Eastern Europe. Based on the story by Arnost Lustig, this film is about two Czech Jewish boys who escape from a train which is transporting them from one concentration camp to another. Ultimately they are hunted down by a group of senile home guards. The film goes beyond the theme of war and anti-Nazism and concerns itself with man's struggle to preserve human dignity. Directed by Jan Nemec (B&W, 64 min). In Czech with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $60. |
| Divided We Fall (2000) |
| Recommended because this is a feature film on persecution of Jews in Eastern Europe under the Nazis. In German-occupied Czechoslovakia, a young couple provides shelter to a Jewish neighbor, taking extreme and sometimes comical measures to protect him and themselves. Petr Jarchovsky, with director Jan Hrebejk, adapted his own novel for this Oscar-nominated feature (122 minutes). In Czech with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $15. | |||
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| Dostoevsky, Fyodor: Crime and Punishment |
| Recommended because considered the first modern novel, Crime and Punishment is both a compelling psychodrama and an unrelenting examination of modern humankind. This classic film skillfully interweaves riveting dramatizations of Fyodor Dostoevsky's masterpiece with Notes from the Underground and the autobiographical Memoirs from the House of the Dead. Penetrating observations are provided by Professor John Jones, of Oxford University, who scrutinizes the merciless introspection inherent in these works (59 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Films for the Humanities for $150. |
| Eastern Europe: Political Powder Keg |
| Recommended because this is a three-part series which provides an in-depth look at the troubled history of a part of the world that has served as a linchpin and tinderbox for much of the 20th century. The programs use rare archival footage to trace events from 1900 to the fall of Communism and the rise of democracy. 3-part series, 55-59 minutes each. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Films for the Humanities for $130 (each episode), or $346 for the entire three-part series. Eastern Europe: 1900-1939 This program traces the history of Eastern Europe from the reign of Franz Josef to the rise of Hitler and the beginnings of the Second World War. Topics covered include the war for Macedonia pitting Bulgaria, Serbia, and Greece against the Turks; political manipulation of the Balkans by Russia, Austria, Britain, and France; domination of Serbia; the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand; the fall of czarist Russia; the Hungarian Revolution of 1918; rise of the Communist Party; birth of the Czechoslovakian Republic; the Treaty of Versailles; the rise of Marshal Pilsudski in Poland; formation of the United Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes; and the Munich Conference (55 minutes). Eastern Europe: 1939-1953 The events leading up to World War II had a devastating political and economic effect on Eastern Europe, as did the rise of Stalin and the thirst for empire of the Soviet Union. This program traces how both Hitler and Stalin's quests for power left this vulnerable area of the world permanently destabilized. Topics include the invasion of Poland by Germany; intrigues and internal politics of the Balkan States; declaration of Croatian independence; the war between Russia and Germany; the Warsaw Ghetto; Marshal Tito and the Anti-Fascist Liberation Council; the battle for Stalingrad; American intervention; the Slavic resistance movement; the Yalta Conference; the Potsdam Conference; the Communist takeover; Tito's break with Moscow; and closing of the Iron Curtain (59 minutes). Eastern Europe: 1953-1991 This program begins with the death of Stalin, which precipitated a rash of political intrigues in the Balkans, and ends with the fall of Communism. Topics include the rise of Nikita Khrushchev; the 1956 Polish Workers Revolt; the liberation of Cardinal Wyszynski; the Hungarian Revolt; the rise of Nicolae Ceausescu in Romania; Tito's socialism; the Czechoslovakian Revolution; the death of Tito; the Helsinki Conference; Lech Walesa and the Polish miners' strike; Gorbachev and perestroika; and the rise of democracy (59 minutes). |
| Eastern Europe: Socio-Economic Change in the 90s (1995) |
| Recommended because the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe in 1989 brought the hope of political and economic freedom for millions. For some in that region, life has never been better. Others still mourn the passing of the security of life under communist rule. This film is recommended because students will have the opportunity to examine both sides of life in post-communist Eastern Europe. In doing so, students will be able to draw their own conclusions about the pros and cons of life in democratic and communist societies. A CNN production that includes a 13-page teachers' curriculum guide (45 min). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), but apparently out of print. |
| Eugene Onegin (Evgenii Onegin) (1958) |
| Recommended because this is the film version of the Peter Tchaikovsky opera based on the work by Alexander Pushkin. Directed by Roman Tikhomirov, with Bolshoi Theatre and Opera staff, cast includes Ariadna Shengelaya as Tatiana (sung by Galina Vshnevskaya) and Vadim Medvedev as Onegin (sung by Yevgeni Kibkalo). Filmed in Leningrad and the surrounding countryside (108 min). In Russian with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $20. |
| Expanding Europe: Round Five of the EU Buildout (7 tape series) |
| Recommended because the fifth wave of eager entrants into the European Union is expected to include Estonia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, and Cyprus. Program one of this seven-part series takes a broad look at the economic hurdles facing these six candidates, while the rest of the series examines the fiscal health of each country within its cultural context as it prepares for accession into the E.U. Produced in 2000, each tape is 25 minutes long. Available for free loan from the Indiana University Russian and East European Institute (contact Denise Gardiner at reei@indiana.edu or call 812-855-7309), or may be purchased from Films for the Humanities for $570. | |||
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| Famine-33 (1991) |
| Recommended because this is a well-made reenactment of 1932-33 famine in the Ukraine from the Ukrainian anti-Soviet perspective which views the famine as a deliberate policy of genocide directed against the Ukrainian people. Estimates of the number of Ukrainians who starved to death at this time range from five to ten million people. Produced at the Dovzhenko Film Studio, Kyiv, Ukraine (95 minutes). In Ukrainian with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), but apparently out of print. |
| Frontline: War in Europe (2000) |
| Recommended because this is an investigation into the 1999 NATO war against Yugoslavia over Kosovo. The focus is on how the war was prosecuted from the NATO perspective, with special attention given to the diplomatic infighting among NATO officials, both civilian and military, including Supreme Allied Commander General Wesley Clark. In the process, the story of the political constraints, internal divisions, and miscalculations that shaped the war in the Balkans is revealed (120 minutes). Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from or from PBS Video at P.O. Box 791, Alexandria, VA 22313-0791 (800-328-7271). |
| Golden Kiev (1994) |
| Recommended because this is a Canadian production highlighting the capital of the newly independent Ukraine, its history, its architecture, and its people (55 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Yevshan for $25. |
| Great Russian Composers Series: |
| Recommended because each tape is available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $20. |
| Great Russian Writers: Alexander Blok |
| Recommended because this is a biographical account of Aleksandr Blok, poet and dramatist, and greatest of the Russian symbolists. He lived from 1880 to 1821. His most famous works include The Twelve, Scythians, Verses about the Lady Beautiful, and Homeland (25 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $20. | |||
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| Great Russian Writers: Alexander Pushkin |
| Recommended because this is a biographical account of Alexander Pushkin, Russia's most venerated writer. He lived from 1799 to 1837. His most famous works include Eugene Onegin, Ruslan and Ludmila, Boris Godunov, and The Queen of Spades (25 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $50. |
| Great Russian Writers: Anton Chekhov |
| Recommended because this is a biographical account of Anton Chekhov, Russian short-story writer and dramatist who lived from 1860 to 1904. His most famous works include The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, The Three Sisters, and The Cherry Orchard (25 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $20. |
| Great Russian Writers: Boris Pasternak |
| Recommended because this is a biographical account of the Soviet poet and Nobel Prize winning author who lived from 1890 to 1960. His Doctor Zhivago was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1958 (25 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $20. |
| Great Russian Writers: Leo Tolstoy |
| Recommended because this is a biography of the Russian novelist (b. 1828, d. 1910) which focuses on his personal life rather than this literary works. Superficial at times, this video does however take the viewer to the places in Russia where Tolstoy lived and worked and could serve as a good introduction to the writer's troubled life (25 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $20. |
| Great Russian Writers: Maxim Gorky |
| Recommended because this is a biographical account of the novelist and playwright and founder of Socialist Realism. Gorky was born in 1868 and died in 1936. His most famous works include Mother, The Lower Depths, In the World, and The Gorky Trilogy (25 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $20. | |||
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| Great Russian Writers: Vladimir Mayakovsky |
| Recommended because this is a biographical account of the foremost Bolshevik poet in the early Soviet era. Born in 1893, Mayakovsky committed suicide in 1930. His most famous works include A Cloud in Trousers, The Backbone Flute, Ode to Revolution, and Left March (25 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $20. |
| Growing Old in Russia (2001) |
| Recommended because this is a look at the lives of senior citizens in the Lake Baikal region of Russia, where the brutal winters tie the community close together and make sharing memories a major pastime. World War II veterans still bring out their uniforms and wear them with pride, rugged living and chores still occupy a land with limited government assistance, and vodka is in heavy use by these hardy souls (50 minutes). In Russian with English subtitles. Available for free loan from the Indiana University Russian and East European Institute (contact Denise Gardiner at reei@indiana.edu or call 812-855-7309), but apparently out of print. |
| Gypsies and the Freedom to Hate (2002, 22 minutes) |
| Recommended because this is a documentary on the Roma people in the Post-Communist age. Ironically, the Gypsies or Roma of Eastern Europe, a people historically persecuted, were protected under the communist system; the disintegration of that system has opened the floodgates of a repressed hatred. In this program, ABC News correspondent Chris Bury looks at an age-old prejudice that has resurfaced in such countries as Hungary and the Czech Republic. Inheriting a legacy of discrimination end even slavery, the Roma, as this profile shows, are an ethnic group with the lowest education levels and highest welfare rates in Europe. Available for free loan from the Indiana University Russian and East European Institute (contact Denise Gardiner at reei@indiana.edu or call 812-855-7309), but apparently out of print. |
| Hidden Memory (1995) |
| Recommended because this is a documentary on Russian folk lore. Eighty years ago, Soviet authorities began a systematic effort to destroy Russian religious and cultural traditions in order to secure loyalty to the state. Today, a handful of folklorists are in a race against time to uncover and preserve true Russian culture. Traveling though the countryside, often at their own expense, students and scholars are visiting elderly villagers, recording their songs, dances and stories and collecting traditional costumes. Russia: Hidden Memory takes viewers on a journey through remote areas seldom visited by outsiders. As a dedicated Russian folklorist, Galina Sysoeva teams with American folklorist, Deirdre Paulsen, to search out the few survivors who remember the "pure" rituals and celebrations that were performed for centuries and capture them for future generations (56 minutes). Available for free loan from the Indiana University Russian and East European Institute (contact Denise Gardiner at reei@indiana.edu or call 812-855-7309), but apparently out of print. |
| Highlands & Highlanders (Gory i Gorale) (1990) |
| Recommended because this is a Polish-produced film of the southern Polish Tatra Mountains and the people who live in this region (60 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Polart for $25. | |||
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| Hungary: Land of Hospitality (1994) |
| Recommended because this video is a very good survey of Hungary which includes Budapest, Lake Balaton, the medieval city of Pecs, horseback riding on the Great Plain, and the vineyards of Eger. Part of the "Video Visits" series (55 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $25. |
| Ivan the Terrible (Ivan Groznyi) |
| Recommended because this is a great Russian movie and has historical value as well. Part I: (1944) Tsar Ivan Grozny carries out his dream of unifying all of Russia but is confronted with hostility and treachery within his own family (black & white, 94 min). Part II: (1946) Ivan is denounced by a close friend for the death of a group of boyars and plots his revenge (black & white with some color, 90 min). Eisenstein was awarded a Stalin Prize for Part I. Part II was shown to Stalin who intensely disliked it. It was subsequently banned and was thus not publicly released until 1958. In Russian with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $60. |
| Joseph Brodsky: A Maddening Space (Mystic Fire Video, 1995, 60 minutes) |
| Recommended because this unique portrait of Nobel prize-winning poet, essayist and controversial former dissident Joseph Brodsky includes an overview of his troubled life in the Soviet Union, his emigration to the U.S. and his devotion to American literature, and is full of examples of both his poetry and his critical essays. Availability: May be borrowed free of charge from the Harvard University National Resource Center for Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies. Apparently not available commercially. |
| Kanal (1957) |
| Recommended because this is Andrej Wajda's hallucinatory portrait of a group of Polish patriots who flee the Nazis through the sewer system of a war-devastated Warsaw. No country suffered more than Poland in the Second World War and this film captures both the great heroism of the Poles in that struggle as well as the tremendous human cost of the war for Poland (96 minutes). In Polish with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $25. |
| Karel Ancerl: In Rehearsal and Performance |
| Recommended because the legendary Czech conductor rehearses and performs Smetana's The Moldau with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. This 1969 CBC television production was made just before Ancerl assumed his post as director of the Toronto Symphony. (57 minutes). Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $30. | |||
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| Kolya (1995) |
| Recommended because this is a great film for viewing Czech life in the last years of the communist government, culminating in the overthrow of socialism. A confirmed bachelor is in for the surprise of his life when a get-rich-quick scheme backfires, setting off a wild set of circumstances, and leaving him with a pint-sized new roommate. Now, with a mischievous five year old named Kolya suddenly in his care, life in this once carefree playboy's tiny apartment changes faster than he could ever imagine. Winner of the 1996 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Directed by Jan Sverak, stars Zdenek Sverak, Andrej Chalimon and Libuse Safrankova (105 minutes). In Czech with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $20. |
| Korczak (1990) |
| Recommended because this film chronicles the extraordinary efforts of Dr. Janusz Korczak, pediatrician and author, to protect a group of abandoned Jewish children in the Warsaw Ghetto during the Second World War when the Nazis occupied Poland (black & white, 118 minutes). In Polish with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $30. |
| Kosovo: Of Blood and History (1999, 40 minutes) |
| Recommended because to fully understand the recent bloodshed in Kosovo, one must go back 600 years and trace the causes of the underlying hatreds that permeate Serbia and the surrounding region. Using eyewitness accounts, maps, and footage both of historic events and of Serbian life, this program examines the ethnic nationalism and religious extremism that has resulted in the long-standing hatred between Serbs and Kosovar Albanians -- a hatred that continues to destabilize the Balkans. Available for free loan from the Indiana University Russian and East European Institute (contact Denise Gardiner at reei@indiana.edu or call 812-855-7309), or may be purchsed from Films for the Humanities for $150. |
| Kovno Ghetto: A Buried History (1997) |
| Recommended because historian Martin Gilbert details the story of the Jewish community in Kovno, Lithuania's capital until 1939 when first Stalin annexed it, followed by the Nazis, then Stalin again. Photos shot with a hidden camera, testimony from 18 survivors, and archival film attest to the courage of a people faced with death who refused to die (115 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from International Historic Films for $25. |
| Kyyivan Pecherska Lavra |
| Recommended because of the secrets it reveals of the underground monastery, the great religious and cultural center of Kyyiv. In Ukrainian with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), but apparently out of print. | |||
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| Laibach (1993) |
| Recommended because regimes have fallen all across Europe and the Soviet Union. Laibach's music, theater and art keep burning the enduring values lost to communist and capitalist states East and West. But their vision of Utopia as the exact negative of totalitarianism drew flak in ex-Yugoslavia, Europe and America and their challenging montages of totalitarian imagery and brute rock and disco rhythms aroused both anger and guilty pleasure. Paradoxically, the Laibach issue seeded the democratic debates that led to the declaration of Independent Slovenis, forcing their critics to revise their opinions of this most controversial group (60 minutes). Available for free loan from the Indiana University Russian and East European Institute (contact Denise Gardiner at reei@indiana.edu or call 812-855-7309), but apparently out of print. |
| Lodz Ghetto (1992, 120 minutes) |
| Recommended because this film chronicles the besieged and doomed city in Poland which held the second largest concentration of Jews in Nazi Europe. The lives and stories of the 200,000 Jews who were trapped in the Ghetto are told solely with authentic writings from secret journals, archival photographs and footage shot by German soldiers. Available for free loan from the Indiana University Russian and East European Institute (contact Denise Gardiner at reei@indiana.edu or call 812-855-7309), or may be purchased from Facets Multimedia for $40. |
| Logging Siberia |
| Recommended because this is a documentary on the environmental battle to save the largest and perhaps most important of the world's ancient forests (28 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $125. |
| Man of Iron (1981) |
| Recommended because made in the center of political events surrounding it, this film merges documentary footage of the Solidarity strike into a fictionalized drama of a disillusioned radio producer (Marian Opania) who is ordered to Gdansk to undermine the reputation of one of the leaders of the worker revolt. Directed by Andrzej Wajda (152 minutes). In Polish with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $20. |
| Marina Tsvetayeva |
| Recommended because Marina Tsvetayeva was one of the great poets of the 20th century and a contemporary of Akhmatova, Pasternak, Mandelstam, and Mayakovsky. She lived through World War I, the Revolution, the Civil War, and the Moscow Famine, and then in exile in Germany, Czechoslovakia, France, and internal exile back in the Soviet Union. Determined to remain apolitical, she became a victim of her convictions. Her husband became an NKVD agent in Paris and her daughter a staunch Communist. She was shunned by the Russian émigré community. Despite her famous affairs, she was devoted to her husband and followed him back to Russia where she was sent into internal exile and committed suicide at the age of 49. This docudrama includes archival footage of the times and places that provided the backdrop of her life; readings in Russian and English of her poems, diaries, and letters; dramatized scenes; and interviews with key writers, biographers, and translators of her work (56 minutes). In English. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), but apparently out of print. | |||
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| Modest Mussorgsky |
| Recommended because this is a biography of noted Russian composer who lived from 1839-1881 and whose best-known works include "Pictures at an Exhibition" and "Night on Bald Mountain" (30 minutes). In English. Part of the "Great Composer series," available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $20. |
| Moscow and Leningrad: The Crown Jewels of Russia (1990) |
| Recommended because this film is part of the superb "Video Visits" series, this tape starts in Moscow where the Kremlin, Red Square, Lenin's Tomb, St. Basil's Cathedral, the Bolshoi Ballet, the Moscow Circus, Gorky Park and GUM are all featured. In Leningrad one sees Palace Square, the Winter Palace with its Hermitage Museum as well as Peter the Great's fabulous retreat, Petrodvorets (50 minutes). In Englihs. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $25. |
| Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears (1979) |
| Recommended because this romantic comedy was probably the most popular movie in Russia during the Brezhnev era (sold 75 million tickets) and winner of the 1980 Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. In Moscow in 1958, three small-town girls have just arrived to pursue their dreams. Ludmila is determined to land a rich boyfriend, Tonya settles for a stable marriage to a working class man, while Katerina gets pregnant. She will eventually make it to the top twenty years later. In the process, this realistic movie will help American students see that life under Soviet socialism was not all drab and dull and that in many ways, it was similar to life in the West. But it also shows well Russian culture, for example life at a country "dacha," a shish-kabob picnic in the woods, Russian drinking habits, Russia's more traditional values when it comes to relations between men and women, and much more. In Russian with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $25. |
| Muslims in Bulgaria |
| Recommended because throughout this century, the Muslim population of southeastern Europe has been hounded and periodically massacred. Communist Bulgaria continued the pre-Communist policy of "ethnic cleansing" (a misnomer, since many of the victims are Slavs), attempting to "Bulgarize" its Turkish-speaking Muslims. After a particularly tense time in 1989, Muslims are once again permitted to practice their religion openly, but after decades of official repression, knowledge of Islamic religious traditions is all too inadequate, even among the foremost religious leaders in the country. (30 minutes, color). Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Films for the Humanities for $90. |
| My Name is Ivan (1962) |
| Recommended because the great director Andrei Tarkovsky's first feature film is the story of a boy (Ivan) who is deprived of his childhood by the harsh realities of the Nazi-Soviet war. Though only a boy, Ivan becomes a battle-hardened partisan who at times appears more mature than the adults surrounding him. The child participates in several military operations as a spy for the Soviet army. This activity has little military implication, however, because he carries no weapon and does not engage in combat. He definitely hates the Germans but it is his love for Mother Russia, epitomized by the image of his mother that drives his actions. (black & white, 84 minutes). In Russian with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $20. | |||
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| My Prague Spring (1993) |
| Recommended because this wry, intimate, award-winning portrait of a family was filmed in Prague shortly after the fall of Communism. It examines the effects of this historic transformation through the eyes of a young American of Czech descent and his Czech relations, as they come to terms with the values of capitalism. English and Czech with English subtitles (81 minutes). Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $50. |
| My Sweet Little Village (Czech) (1986) |
| Recommended because this is a very entertaining film, and one that shows well village life in Czechoslovakia in the early 1980s. A non-political film, one nevertheless sees elements of Czech nationalism here, as well as Czech culture. Summary: for years the overbearing Pavek has endured Otik, the "town idiot," sharing his meals and the front seat of their dump truck. But Otik is such a sweet natured fool that Pavek, exasperated as he becomes, always relents on his threats to find another partner. This Laurel and Hardy-like pair are at the heart of a comedy which finds humor and warmth in an abundance of everyday situations. The town doctor regularly wrecks his car while admiring the lush countryside, a romantic teenager develops a hopeless crush on his sister's school teacher, and a straying wife and her boyfriend are just one step ahead of her suspicious, hot-headed husband. Directed by Jiri Menzel, stars Janos Ban, Marian Labuda, and Rudolph Hrusinsky (100 minutes). In Czech with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $25. |
| My Ukraine 18 |
| Recommended because of it performances by the Kiev Bandura Ensemble as well as by the Kiev Kalyna Song and Dance Ensemble (75 minutes). In Ukrainian. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), but apparently out of print. |
| Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov |
| Recommended because this is a biography of the Russian composer who lived from 1844 to 1908, and creator of such masterpieces as Scheherazade and the Russian Easter Overture (30 minutes). In English. Part of the "Great Composer series," available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $20. |
| October (Oktiabr) (1927) |
| Recommended because this silent film was directed by the great Soviet filmmaker, Sergei Eisenstein. It depicts the 1917 Revolution from the Soviet point of view. But it is more than just a piece of propaganda: it is also artistic and compelling cinema. The film begins with the overthrow of the monarchy in February, moves on to the establishment of the Provisional Government and the rise of Kerensky, and culminates with the Bolshevik/Communist takeover under LeninÂ’s leadership in October. The famous scenes that depict the storming of the Winter Palace are often mistaken for actual historical footage. Highly recommended (104 minutes). By the way, in the West this film is also known as "Ten Days that Shook the World." Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $30. | |||
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| Oh, Bloody Life! (1985) |
| Recommended because this film contains great political and social satire from a a Hungarian point of view. Set in the 1950's during the Stalinist era, Bacso's daring film concerns the deportation of Hungarian citizens who have done nothing wrong. The film is remarkable not only for its courageous depiction of political events, but for his black comedy. Directed by Peter Bacso (115 minutes). In Hungarian with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $50. |
| One World: The Baltic States (1997) |
| Recommended because this is a recent documentary on the post-Soviet Baltic States, presenting multiple views on current issuesthe Soviet heritage, historical memories, ethnic minorities, business developments. Interviews include the President of Estonia, US Ambassador to Latvia, the Rector of Vilnius University and other national and international leaders, scholars, and cultural figures. Available for free loan from the Indiana University Russian and East European Institute (contact Denise Gardiner at reei@indiana.edu or call 812-855-7309), but apparently out of print. |
| Pan Tadeusz (1999) |
| Recommended because this film is based on the 19th century epic poem by Polish poet Adam Mickiewicz. Written in 1834, while Mickiewicz was living in exile in Paris, the poem is still considered the greatest epic of Polish literature. Set in the picturesque landscape of Lithuania, the film depicts the region during the Napoleonic era. The film conveys the poem's political tone as well as its derisive irony. The lavish costume drama features an all-star cast. The plot revolves around a feud between two Polish gentry families living under Russian rule. Vengeance, thwarted love, trysts, mind-boggling secrets, feasts, hunts, balls, and battles enliven the action, which unfolds amidst the Poles' hope that Napoleon's invasion of Russia will lead to the restoration of Polish statehood. This film was a blockbuster in Poland, but is more difficult for non-Polish audiences to appreciate. Directed by Andrzej Wajda (157 minutes). In Polish with English subtitles. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $40. |
| People's Century: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Times (1997) |
| Recommended because this is an excellent film documentary of the twentieth century. The OSU Slavic Center has all episodes with themes relating to Eastern Europe. A joint production of the BBC and WGBH Boston. In English. By the way, this film series has a very good website. Available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the film directly), or for purchase from Facets Multimedia for $20 for each episode (or $349 for the entire 26 video series). Red Flag: Communism in Russia (1917-36) When Vladimir Lenin's Bolsheviks stormed the Winter Palace in 1917, they did so in the name of a new ideology. Millions were drawn by its promise. In Red Flag, the people who were there--from members of the Red Guard to party activists to students--explain how Communism appealed to their deepest hopes and dreams. Through them, we hear how Communist leadership, under Lenin and later, Joseph Stalin, compromised the proletarian ideal--and how hope eventually gave way to despair. Interviews include the following subjects: the storming of the Winter Palace, Lenin, Bolsheviks, civil war, mass literary campaigns, Lenin's death, Soviet "five year plans," collectivization, kulaks, "show" trials", and Stalin's purges (60 min). Brave New World: The Cold War Begins (1945-62) This film tracks the building tension between the two superpowers, the Soviet Union and the United States, from the post-WWII world of the 1940s through the 1960s, as the hope for post- war peace swiftly disintegrates into a "cold" war of competing ideologies between East and West. Interviews include the following subjects: meeting on the Elbe, refugees in Europe, Joseph Stalin, Winston Churchill at Fulton, Nikita Khrushchev, propaganda wars, NATA, Berlin blockade, Korea, Hungarian uprising, Berlin Wall (60 minutes). Fallout: Nuclear Energy and Destruction (1942-87) Recommended because The atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki marked the end of WWII -- and also heralded the beginning of the nuclear arms race. Simultaneously, the peaceful potential of nuclear energy was held out as the hope of the future, offering cheap, clean and unlimited energy. But early optimism and enthusiasm evaporated as the dangers of radiation and nuclear accidents became evident. Authoritarian governments ignored challenges to nuclear energy programs caused by popular apprehension, but all governments encountered growing evidence of the costs of nuclear power. Interviews include the following themes: the atomic bomb, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, nuclear testing, Cuban Missile crisis, protest movements, Three Mile Island, Chernobyl (60 minutes). People Power: The End of Soviet-Style Communism (1980-93) In 1991, the Communist Party lost control of the Soviet Union, the culmination of a process that had started in 1980 in the Polish shipyards at Gdansk. Eyewitnesses tell the story of how the Communist system that dominated post-war Eastern Europe collapsed as they remember the extraordinary weeks that preceded and followed the fall of the Berlin Wall; Poland's fight for Solidarity; Czechoslovakia's "Velvet Revolution"; Romania's violent overthrow of communism; Gorbachev and perestroika, the August 1991 Putsch, and the collapse of the Soviet Union (60 minutes). |
| Peter Tchaikovsky |
| Recommended because this is a biography of the Russian composer who lived from 1840-93, and whose most famous works include "The Nutcracker," "1812 Overture," Piano Concerto No. 1 and the Symphony No. 6 ("Pathetique") (30 minutes). In English. Part of the "Great Composer series," available for loan from the Ohio State University Center for Slavic and East European Studies (call 614-292-8770 or request the f |