Kino Klassika Foundation educates audiences about film and film materials from the countries of the former Soviet Union supporting film restorations, academic research, artistic commissions, publications and events to spotlight a tradition which remains largely invisible outside of Russia. We are a UK registered charity 1150791.

Rare Screening of Banned Soviet Masterpiece

“Beginning of an Unknown Century” on 8 March International Women’s Day

A rare screening of the banned Soviet film Beginning of an Unknown Century by Larisa Shepitko and Andrei Smirnov will be shown on 8 March at London’s iconic Regent Street Cinema. The screening is sponsored by Lombard Odier, a leading global wealth and asset manager and hosted in collaboration with Art Social Club. It is the highlight of Kino Klassika’s film season A World to Win: A Century of Revolution on Screen, which marks the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution with a season of ten films, curated talks and side-bar events charting some of the 20th Century’s most turbulent times.

This two-part omnibus film, commissioned to mark the 50th anniversary of the Revolution, was deemed too critical by Brezhnev’s censors. It was immediately banned and first shown to the public 20 years later in 1987, long after film director Larisa Shepitko's tragic death.

Andrei Smirnov’s novella Angel is a story of everyday heroism and brutality during the 1920s Civil War. It follows a group of refugees whose train is derailed and captured by bandits.

In Shepitko's Homeland of Electricity, a young mechanic is sent to a famine-stricken village to bring electricity to the people. Shepitko’s trademark striking black-and-white visuals are frequently compared to the works of Aleksandr Dovzhenko, (Earth) her teacher at film school. It is one of only four surviving films from one of Russia’s most important and yet unknown film directors.

Kino Klassika Foundation educates audiences about film and film materials from the countries of the former Soviet Union supporting film restorations, academic research, artistic commissions, publications and events to spotlight a tradition which remains largely invisible outside of Russia. We are a UK registered charity 1150791.

Shepitko herself observes:

“I’m giving you my word that there’s nothing, there’s not a frame in my film, not a single one, that doesn’t come from me as a woman… Men too can make perfectly sentimental ladies needlework. But a woman as one half of the origin of humankind, can tell the world, reveal to the world, some amazing things. No man can so intuitively discern some phenomena in the human psyche, in nature, like a woman can.”(From the documentary,

Larisa, Elem Klimov, 1980)

Director Larisa Shepitko, 1972. © Shestko/RIA Novosti

Justine Waddell, founder of Kino Klassika says, “Larisa Shepitko was a pioneer whose work remains largely unknown in Russia and outside of it. Her films are marked by striking black and white cinematography inherited from her teacher the great filmmaker, Alexander Dovzhenko (Earth). All most people know about Shepitko is that she was beautiful. When she arrived at VGIK, the great Moscow film school, the directors insisted she enrol in acting classes. But Shepitko insisted on entry to the director’s course. Alongside classmates Andrei Tarkovksy (Solaris, Andrei Rublev), and Elem Klimov (Come and See), she became a key figure of the 1970s Soviet New Wave. We are delighted to screen her work on International Women’s Day, when we can remind ourselves of female film pioneers who fearlessly managed to speak truth to power."

Ian Christie, curator of A World to Win says “Beginning of an Unknown Century takes us to the heart of questioning the Bolshevik revolution. Commissioned to mark the 50th anniversary of 1917, with Khruschev recently toppled from power by Brezhnev, it was based on stories by the controversial writers Yuri Olesha and Andrei Platonov. They are set during the Civil War period and share a bleak outlook on the new era. Astonishing that such films could have been made and totally unsurprising that they were immediately banned. Yet, in 1987, Gorbachev’s perestroika allowed them finally to be seen and to be applauded.”

Kino Klassika Foundation educates audiences about film and film materials from the countries of the former Soviet Union supporting film restorations, academic research, artistic commissions, publications and events to spotlight a tradition which remains largely invisible outside of Russia. We are a UK registered charity 1150791.

Among confirmed attendees to the screening of Beginning of an Unknown Century on 8 March are English actress and political activist Vanessa Redgrave, film producer and Shepitko family friend

Colin Vaines, American actress Liv Tyler, Francine Stock of the BBC Film Programme, Rachel Polonsky, bestselling author of Molotov’s Magic Lantern, Russian bestselling novelist, Boris Akunin.

Other invited guests include Ralph Fiennes, Annette Benning, Helen Mirren, Gemma Arterton, and Simon Sebag-Montefiore.

The screening of Beginning of an Unknown Century is sponsored by Lombard Odier and hosted in collaboration with Art Social Club.

NOTES TO EDITORS

About Kino Klassika FoundationKino Klassika creates impactful programs of restorations, publications, art commissions and events to spotlight Russian language cinema – a tradition that remains largely invisible to audiences outside of Russia. We are a UK registered charity. Our Patron is Ralph Fiennes, our trustees: Professor Ian Christie, Daniel Jowell QC, Roger Munnings CBE and Justine Waddell. http://www.kinoklassikafoundation.org

About A World to Win: A Century of Revolution on ScreenOn the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution, Kino Klassika hosts a season of cinematic masterpieces from around the world, exploring the revolutionary spirit through the camera lens and investigating the impulse of profound change.

It brings together provocative films by directors such as Sergei Eisenstein, Mikhail Kalatozov, Larisa Shepitko, Andrei Smirnov, Jean-Luc Godard, Gauber Rocha, Andrzej Wajda, Bernardo Bertolucci and Ken Loach to reach audiences across the UK.

The season is being hosted from 17 February to 15 April 2017 at London’s iconic Edwardian cinema hall on Regent Street. It will culminate with the British premiere of Sergei Eisenstein’s masterpiece October on 26 October, the day after the 100th anniversary of the Revolution. The film will be accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra at London's Barbican.

The programme of A World to Win is complemented by a series of curated talks and special events across London. These include introductions, Q&As and workshops with film directors, screenwriters, academics commentators including potentially Christopher Hampton (Screenwriter, Dangerous Liaisons), Ken Loach (Film Director Land and Freedom, I Daniel Blake) , Bernardo Bertolucci (Film Director, Dreamers, Conformist), Costa Gavras (Film Director, Z, Confession), Max Reinhardt (BBC Radio 3 Late Junction Presenter), Michael Chanan (noted film historian and critic) and Benedict Morrison (film and language historian).

Kino Klassika Foundation educates audiences about film and film materials from the countries of the former Soviet Union supporting film restorations, academic research, artistic commissions, publications and events to spotlight a tradition which remains largely invisible outside of Russia. We are a UK registered charity 1150791.

The A World to Win is curated by Professor Ian Christie, Dr Maria Korolkova and Justine Waddell of Kino Klassika Foundation.

Please see the season trailer here: https://vimeo.com/200226256

#KinoKlassikaRevolution #WorldtoWin #Revolution100

About Professor Ian Christie, Curator of A World to WinIan Christie is a world-renowned film scholar. He has written books including studies of Sergei Eisenstein, Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, Martin Scorsese and the development of cinema in both Russia and Britain. He is a member of the British Academy, a regular contributor to Sight and Sound and a frequent broadcaster. Christie is currently Professor of Film and Media History at Birkbeck, University of London.

About Dr Maria Korolkova, Curator of A World to WinMaria Korolkova is an independent researcher and film critic. She has a DPhil from the University of Oxford focusing on film architecture of early Russian cinema. Maria is Projects and Communications Director of Kino Klassika Foundation, and a Programme Leader in Media and Communications at the University of Greenwich.

About Justine Waddell, Curator of A World to WinJustine Waddell is the founder of Kino Klassika and an acclaimed actress. Justine starred in Vladimir Sorokin’s sci-fi version of Anna Karenina, Target, for which she learnt the Russian language fluently and from which she developed an enduring interest in Russian culture and cinematography. 

About Lombard Odier, Sponsor of ‘Beginning of an Unknown Century’With 223 billion Swiss francs of total client assets, per end-June 2016, Lombard Odier is a leading global wealth and asset manager focused on providing solutions to private and institutional clients as well as to other financial institutions. The Group operates across three distinct business lines: wealth management, asset management and technology solutions.

For 221 years, the firm has been solely dedicated to serving clients and forged a strong tradition of innovation in the way it advises clients, manages investment strategies and develops new technologies.

As one of the world’s best-capitalised banks, with a highly liquid balance sheet, Lombard Odier has grown stronger through more than 40 financial crises and stayed true to its primary vocation of preserving and growing clients’ wealth.

Kino Klassika Foundation educates audiences about film and film materials from the countries of the former Soviet Union supporting film restorations, academic research, artistic commissions, publications and events to spotlight a tradition which remains largely invisible outside of Russia. We are a UK registered charity 1150791.

As an independent business wholly owned by its Managing Partners, stability is the watchword.  The Partnership model fosters a long term-vision, full alignment of interest and mutual trust with clients.

Lombard Odier Group employs about 2,250 people. Headquartered in Geneva since 1796, the Group has 26 offices in 19 jurisdictions including London, Paris, Zurich, Moscow, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo.

For more information: www.lombardodier.com

About Art Social Club, Champagne Sponsor of ‘Beginning of an Unknown Century’

ArtSocial Club is non-for-profit private members club, which brings together people, who share a passion for art, culture and philanthropy.

The Club is dedicated to creating a diverse programme of exciting events, which focus on the most significant and talked-about artistic and cultural happenings in London and beyond and feature the most knowledgeable, distinguished and engaging experts and speakers. All the proceeds from ArtSocial Club go towards charitable activities of ArtSocial Foundation, that supports vulnerable children in the UK and Russia by engaging them with arts and creative therapies. 

FESTIVAL DATES: 17 February 2017 – 26 October 2017

Kino Klassika Foundation Media Contact:Yana MaksimochkinaCommunications Directoryana@kinoklassikafoundation.org+44 7412 477797 Partners

Kino Klassika Foundation educates audiences about film and film materials from the countries of the former Soviet Union supporting film restorations, academic research, artistic commissions, publications and events to spotlight a tradition which remains largely invisible outside of Russia. We are a UK registered charity 1150791.