A scene from the evocative new russian film, silent souls. Apr 18, 2017 this is an unusual story of the consequences of the revolution filmed by venetian film festivalwinner alexei fedorchenko first on the moon, silent souls. But it works very well with russian director alexei fedorchenkos melancholic drama silent souls the original russian title was ovsyanki, the name of a bird that is here translated as bunting, though yellowhammer would work as well. The film was awarded the golden osella for best cinematography and a fipresci award. On our site you can watch online and download movie silent. Enjoy a rich lineup of tv shows and movies included with your prime membership. Film synopsis winner, best screenplay, 2011 when mirons beloved wife tanya passes away, he asks his best friend aist to help him say goodbye to her according to the rituals of the merja culture, an ancient finnougric tribe from lake nero, a picturesque region in westcentral russia. A lyrical russian tale hollywood reporter a perfect example of films ability to take viewers into other worlds, silent souls is a profound and moving cinematic poem about love and loss, set against the bleak landscape of central western russia screen international. The original russian title of my film, ovsyanki, is the russian word for bunting birds, a cousin of the american sparrow. This profound and immensely touching film in only 75 perfect minutes achieves the. Silent souls generates buzz at venice fest hollywood. This film by oscarwinner nikita mikhalkov, which is based on the eponymous story by ivan bunin and his diaries cursed days, in which the author depicts the revolution as a catastrophe, divided.
A man and his companion go on a journey to cremate the dead body of the former beloved wife, on a riverbank in the area where they spent their honeymoon. Aleksey fedorchenkos screen version of a novel by denis osokin, which was among the favorites to win the prestigious venice golden lion, received the film critics prize on saturday. Essentially the story of one russian womans untimely death and the effort of the two men in her life to honor her passing by adhering to the traditions of their shared, threatened culture, aleksey fedorchenkos silent souls presents itself as a modernday folk fable that becomes an act of tragic mythology and melancholy cultural preservation. After the sudden death of his wife, tough guy miron asks taciturn writer aist to accompany him on a long journey to dispose of her remains according to the rituals of the merya peoplean ancient tribe from picturesque westcentral russia. Silent souls is a melancholy poem to love, loss and the tug of tradition directed by aleksei fedorchenko. And yuliya aug, who appears alive in silent souls only in flashbacks, was very much lovedby sergeev, and by her husband yuriy tsurilo, sergeevs friend and coworker. Sep 30, 2011 aleksei fedorchenkos beautiful silent souls finds ancient pagan rituals thriving in the modern world. Among other awards, loveless took the jury prize at cannes 2017 and was nominated for the best foreign language film award at the 2018 academy awards. If it is oddly so, it is perhaps the way an outsider, or the viewer, sees the customs shown which are fading away in this modern world. It opens with an arrestingly lovely yet sorrowful perspective of the.
Soviet movies in english on our site you can watch. Jan, 2012 silent souls i saw alexsei fedorchenkos extraordinarily lovely, if melancholic, russian language film, silent souls, on the same day i attended a funeral for a fiftyfive year old down syndrome. When mirons beloved wife tanya passes away, he asks his best friend aist to help him say goodbye to. When mirons beloved wife tanya passes away, he asks his best. The film is a screen adaptation of a novel by russian writer denis osokin. It was considered a frontrunner for the golden lion, but did not win. Silent souls, the quietly dramatic russian film focused on two men conducting funeral rituals for the newly dead wife of one of the men, is film with a dark melancholy beautyblue, gray, tan and brown seem to be its principal colorsand it has a contemplative and sensually alert and passionate narrative, a poetic narrative encompassing the. This profound and immensely touching film in only 75 perfect minutes achieves the profundity of an epic. Beautifully assembled, but emotionally inert despite its focus on bereavement and loves endurance, russian art film silent souls. If you can imagine the world of milan kundera moved many miles to the east and tinged with melancholy, you may have some idea of silent souls, by the 45yearold russian director aleksei fedorchenko. Fully retitling a foreignlanguage film for international release is a risky business. Oct 14, 2011 clocking in at 75 minutes, russian film silent souls directed by aleksei fedorchenko is short, but more somber than sweet.
Subtle, sensuous, and utterly fascinating, silent souls m is a 75 minute road movie of great distinction by aleksei fedorchenko. In any case, the narration is definitely necessary. Monica film center santa monica monica film center santa monica. Crina catalina bucurs rating of the film silent souls. Silent souls i saw alexsei fedorchenkos extraordinarily lovely, if melancholic, russianlanguage film, silent souls, on the same day i attended a funeral for a fiftyfive year old down syndrome. Silent souls won best screenplay at the asia pacific screen awards and the russian guild of film critics awards, and is a new york times critics pick road movies take many forms, and silent souls is the road movie as metaphysical memory and meditation. The films russian patronym ovsyanki translates as buntings or yellowhammers a titular accomplishment which gives the caged birds present in almost scene much more significance than the more wispy melancholia of silent souls. Silent souls beautifully assembled but emotionally inert. I f you can imagine the world of milan kundera moved many miles to the east and tinged with melancholy, you may have some idea of silent souls, by the 45yearold russian director.
As lyrical and mysterious as the ancient race of merjans who once lived in western russia, aleksei fedorchenkos silent souls takes the. The original russian title was ovsyanki, the name of a bird that is here translated as bunting, though yellowhammer would work as well. I would feel especially excited to do so since the new york film festivals other russian film this year, sergei loznitsas my joy, is as nihilistically materialist as many of tarkovskys films are metaphysically. The scene in the box store exemplifies this clash of worlds. Road movies take many forms, and silent souls is the road movie as. Aleksey fedorchenkos silent souls is an interesting piece of cinema, in the fact that it happens to be fairly informative film regarding the merjan people based on denis osokins story. Russian film silent souls grabs fipresci prize at venice. One of the most acclaimed films of 2011, silent souls ovsyanki is a breathtakingly beautiful roadmovie masterpiece. Silent souls is a beautiful elegy for dying traditions, and i would say that the first 45 minutes or so are among the best ive seen all year, notably an exquisite early sequence tying. Watch silent souls english subtitled now on your favorite device.
Silent souls won best screenplay at the asia pacific screen awards and the russian guild of film critics awards, and is a new york times critics pick trailer watch now. On our site you can watch online and download movie silent souls with english, french, spanish, portuguese, turkish, arabic subtitles soviet movies in english march 25, 2019. Beautifully assembled, but emotionally inert despite its focus on bereavement and loves endurance, russian art film silent souls reps at the. He graduated from the state institute for filmmaking vgik in 2000 and. Hollywood reporter a perfect example of films ability to take viewers into other worlds, silent souls is a profound and moving cinematic poem about love and loss, set against the bleak landscape of central western russia. Newhall under construction newhall under construction. Dec, 2019 silent souls won best screenplay at the asia pacific screen awards and the russian guild of film critics awards, and is a new york times critics pick trailer watch now. About time you idiots at mubi gave up a decent russian film.
Aleksei fedorchenkos beautiful silent souls finds ancient pagan rituals thriving in the modern world. Although the merja people assimilated into russians in the 17th century, their myths and traditions live on in their descendants modern life. Jun 24, 2012 the films russian patronym ovsyanki translates as buntings or yellowhammers a titular accomplishment which gives the caged birds present in almost scene much more significance than the more wispy melancholia of silent souls. Crina catalina bucur purging through blaze and vodka. Clocking in at a very economical 78 minutes aleksey fedorchenkos silent souls is a remarkable and remarkably beautiful russian film dealing with both grief and identity but in a manner that is both uplifting and almost surrealistically comic. The narrative is slightly odd because of the narration provided by the character aist igor. But it works very well with russian director alexei fedorchenkos melancholic drama silent souls. Sep 16, 2011 silent souls is a melancholy poem to love, loss and the tug of tradition directed by aleksei fedorchenko.
Aleksei fedorchenko 1966 a native of central russia, aleksei fedorchenko gained notice for his first featurelength film, the mocumentary first on the moon 2005. I read the description two friends from the ancient merjan tribe in russia take a funeral trip involving the wife of one and wasnt much interested. Sep 04, 2010 russian film an early favorite for golden lion venice ovsyanki silent souls, russian director aleksei fedorchenkos incompetition drama of a factory workers poetic and folkloric farewell. Road movies take many forms, and silent souls is the road movie as metaphysical memory and meditation. Aleksei fedorchenkos festival staple silent souls continued its strong run by picking up best narrative film at the abu dhabi film festivals 2010 black pearl awards in. I had to look up on the rspb site to learn details of either. Russian silent souls awarded in venice rt world news. The two men set out on a road trip thousands of miles across the boundless lands.
Dec 12, 20 silent souls, the quietly dramatic russian film focused on two men conducting funeral rituals for the newly dead wife of one of the men, is film with a dark melancholy beautyblue, gray, tan and brown seem to be its principal colorsand it has a contemplative and sensually alert and passionate narrative, a poetic narrative encompassing the. Russian director aleksei fedorchenkos poetic new movie silent souls tells the story of a russian factory managers tender farewell. When mirons beloved wife tanya passes away, he asks his best friend aist to help him say goodbye according to the rituals of the merya culture, an ancient finnougric tribe from lake nero. Nothing in the silent souls is static, not even the apparently permanent state of death.
It is the kind of film that abbas kiarostami might make or, in a much broader fashion, the coens. Silent souls is in russian with english subtitles, but with minimalist voiceover and sparse dialogue, theres not a lot to read. You need multiregion palntsc dvd player to view it in usacanada. The bulk of the movie consists of an older man and his middleaged son preparing his young, corpulent dead wife.
Theyre volga finns, members of a russian ethnic minority, though their people, the merjan, assimilated centuries ago, leaving behind only a few remaining rites and traditions. Funeral practices among the meryan ethnic group in russia leave peter. Clocking in at 75 minutes, russian film silent souls directed by aleksei fedorchenko is short, but more somber than sweet. Nods to tarkovsky, lost hopes, and faded dreams converge in this eerily effective study on grief. Silent souls generates buzz at venice fest hollywood reporter. Silent souls is a quiet reflection on life and death. When mirons beloved wife tanya passes away, he asks his best friend aist to help him say goodbye to her according to the rituals of the merja culture, an ancient finnougric tribe from lake nero, a picturesque region in westcentral russia. The film is the latest release from director andrei zvyagintsev and comments on contemporary russian morality through the relentlessly savage tale of family dysfunction.
A slow and depressing movie not unlike a prominent strand of russian filmmaking. Silent souls is a 2010 russian film that was nominated for the golden lion at the 67th venice film festival. Sep 11, 2010 russian silent souls received the appreciation of the international federation of film critics, while the same movies camera work received an osella. Clocking in at a very economical 78 minutes aleksey fedorchenkos silent souls is a remarkable and remarkably beautiful russian film dealing with both grief. I would like to stand on principle and not compare aleksei fedorchenkos silent souls to tarkovskys the mirror. However, it did win best screenplay at the 2011 asia pacific screen awards.
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