The St Petersburg Press
Still from the award winning
1934 film "Chapaev." (Large jpg - 240 K)
From the 1934 film
"Gulliver's Travels" (Large jpg - 239 K)
The St Petersburg Press
Still from the award winning
1934 film "Chapaev." (Large jpg - 240 K)
From the 1934 film
"Gulliver's Travels" (Large jpg - 239 K)
By the director's office, stills from the year 1964 capture scenes from Hamlet. Nearer the main cluster of studios, we hit 1934 and that year's smash film, "Chapayev," directed by Sergei and Georgy Vasilyev.
Each step taken seems to span a decade until, finally, when the visitor crosses the threshold into Lenfilm's main sound stage, he finds himself in surroundings that might easily be a studio of the 1920s.
Archaic lighting equipment swings from rusty cables. Black and white cityscapes adorn the walls, while workers shuffle around nonchalantly. In fact, the only thing missing is the authentic 1920s glamor.
It was movie mogul Louis B. Mayer who said that, in Hollywood, "you have to scrape away all the tinsel to get down to the real tinsel underneath." In Lenfilm, the same could be said of an entirely different, less glitzy substance -- dust.
Yet despite rising costs and the flood of American imports, Lenfilm has survived despite its decline. This is quite an achievement given the declining state of the Russian film industry.
Foreign film festival to hit city
"A Foreign Field" (1993), starring Alec Guinness, Leo McKern and Lauren Bacall will be shown on April 4. The silent classic "Rescued by Rover" (1905) will also be screened as Britain's contribution to the festival.
Artist's Lost Dream
From childhood Leonid Ptitsyn knew he was destined to be an
artist. At 15, he lost both his hands in a German bomb blast, but despite this, his resolve remained undiminished. His prediction eventually came true and half a century on, his 400 or so works are scattered throughout museums and individual collections all over the world...
Fear's Anxious Symphony
One of Shostakovich's more creative symphonies is to be played at
the Philharmonia on Thursday. Maris Janssons will lead the Academic Symphony Orchestra at the Philharmonia in
Dvorak's "Eighth" and Shostakovich's "Tenth" in the Great Hall dedicated to the
latter composer. Written shortly after Stalin's death and with a rapidity that suggests
Shostakovich could at last breathe more freely as an artist, the "Tenth
Symphony in E Minor" easily ranks among his finest. It is also an intensely personal statement made after years of criticism and repression under Stalin's regime.
GETTING AROUND
Life, Death, Love & Tears at City's First Video Club
You're fed up with hearing Russian, speaking Russian, reading and watching
everything in Russian and crave an hour or two slouched in front of the
goggle-box watching a film in English...
MUSEUMS & GALLERIES
Picasso Gift to Museum
The most comprehensive collection of Picasso's work in private
hands has been donated to the Russian Museum
MUSIC
Jazzz Cocktail's Sober Twist (Photo)
The local "alternative rock" band Tequilajazzz has signed a
recording contract, released a CD and will support Britain's "Therapy?" at
their Moscow concerts on April 6-7