Movie Nights in Moscow

Synopsis

Rana Mitter travels to Moscow to meet the heirs of Eisenstein and Tarkovsky, and explore new Russian cinema and the new Russia.

In the 1990s much of Russia fell apart, including its film industry. Stray dogs ran through abandoned studio lots, cinemas fell into disrepair and the few films produced glorified gangsters. A decade later, new multiplexes, vampire blockbusters and international success have brought Russian cinema back from the brink.

Oscar-winner Karen Shakhnazarov and young directors Vasily Sigarev and Alexey Popogrebsky are among those Rana meets in the cinemas and cafes of Moscow. On screen are unhappy families, snow-bound landscapes, seedy coastal resorts, neo-Nazis, Soviet-era teddy-boys and a little girl who thinks she's a wolf cub.

At the historic Mosfilm studios, and visiting film screenings and festivals, Rana asks how Russia is changing, how the past is being re-packaged and what Russian politicians, producers and punters would most like to see on a night out at the movies.

Broadcast

1. Sun 15 Nov 2009
   21:30
   BBC Radio 3