Films from St. Petersburg at Pushkin House

On Thursday, 23 October, Pushkin House kicks off a four-day film festival ‘Saint Petersburg: Take Another Look’. The programme includes nine films – documentary and feature, classic and contemporary – but all in some way are united by the city of Saint Petersburg.

The festival will be opened by Nepal Forever, Aliona Polunina’s tongue-in-cheek documentary on two communists’ fateful trip to Nepal, that will be followed by Andrey Khvostov’s charming Anglo-Russian romcom St Pete – Summer – Love.

Still from Nepal Forever

Friday will be marked by a documentary by Vladimir Nepevny about Sergei Kuryokhin, one of the most famous and brilliant composers of Russian rock and avant-garde music, and comedy horror film Shopping Tour from Mikhail Brashinsky.

On Saturday we’ll be watching unusual mystery A White White Night and a re-telling of Kafka’s classic novel The Trial, whereas Sunday will offer us a trio of works by cult director Aleksey Balabanov, starting with Happy Days, inspired by Samuel Beckett, moving to his lesser-known film, The Castle, based on Kafka’s novel of the same name, and closing with a disturbing masterpiece,  Of Freaks and Men.

All films will be screened with English subtitles and are FREE to attend (booking is essential). Please e-mail info@pushkinhouse.org.uk to reserve seats.

PROGRAMME

Thursday 23 October

6pm Nepal Forever (Aliona Polunina, 2013, 95 min)
7.45pm St Pete – Summer – Love. (Andrei Khvostov, 2013, 82 min).

Friday 24 October

6.30pm Kuryokhin (Vladimir Nepevny, 2004-14, 40 min)
7.30pm Shopping Tour (Mikhail Brashinsky, 70 min)

Saturday 25 October

2.30pm White, White Night (Ramil Salakhutdinov, 2014, 90 min)
4.30pm The Trial (Konstantin Seliverstov, 2013, 102 min)

Sunday 26 October

12.00pm Happy Days (Aleksei Balabanov, 1991, 102 min)
2pm The Castle (Aleksei Balabanov, 1994, 120 min)
4.30pm Of Freaks and Men (Aleksei Balabanov, 1998, 89 min)

More information on Pushkin House website.