Russian resurrection.

With all the attention Putin's pecs got over the weekend, I was reminded of the 2007 Inaugural Russian Resurrection Film Festival (official) which I heard about a little while ago. A long time ago I did a subject on Russian politics -- this country has a long running tradition of political engagement with film, particularly through Communism and the works of Sergei Eisenstein.

What's most interesting is that, in the transition from Communist state to Capitalist 'democracy'; the ties between film and popular culture and politics have not been severed. Unlike in the USA, where Hollywood is frequently accused of 'hating America' by the Republican right, mainstream Russian cinema is wholly supportive of Putin's cultural and political agenda. You won't find any films with homosexual characters who aren't evil or non-ethnic Russians who are crooked, for example. And don't get me started on the depiction of Westerners.

That said, I'm very interested in the festival. With classics like the epic 8-hour War and Peace hitting the screen, which cost $US650m (adjusted) in 1968 and features a 40 minute battle scene with 120,000 extras; it might just be unmissable. The contemporary features too, look engaging and are likely to offer the kind of multi-dimensional cinema which Eisenstein would be proud of.

Russian Resurrection screens @ Como from 30 August to 5 September.