Directed by Alexander Sokurov (Russian Ark)

ALEXANDRA

 

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Despite Russia’s social and political problems, its rich artistic heritage remains a wellspring of redemption and hope. Renowned filmmaker Alexander Sokurov is living proof. Sokurov’s unique style, set apart by slow panning and long takes (or even just one shot, Russian Ark), matches the depth of his ideas about society and the human soul. In Alexandra, Sokurov tells an enduring story with graceful simplicity-the reunion of a grandmother with her grandson-while addressing a complex contemporary conflict-the Second Chechen War. Galina Vishnevskaya, the grande doyenne of Russian opera, makes her acting debut as a resolute old woman who journeys to war-torn Chechnya to visit her grandson, a respected military officer. This precious relationship is among the many factors that make the film so sublime. Alexandra’s presence also pacifies the violence of the region. Soldiers stare at her in wonderment, disarmed of their war-hardened stoicism. Alexandra shows us the victory of the human spirit through the vision of an artist who is fully in command of his creative gifts. - Matthew Garklavs

Russia, 2007, 95 min., color, in Russian with English subtitles