Pure Gloom and Doom?
Russian Cinema at the Turn of the Millennium
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
Film held a high place in Soviet culture. With the demise of the Soviet Union, Russian cinema entered a crisis. Public interest waned. Nonetheless, in the 1990s, many directors produced their best work. They gave expression to the questions and self-doubt prevalent in society. Increasingly, audiences felt these films to be too gloomy. Since around 2000, popular film and auteur theory have stood face to face without an intermediary. Works that won acclaim at festivals found distributors; cinemas were in the grip of pure entertainment. Now, a revival of Russian cinema can be seen. A new generation of directors has turned to other locations and themes. The “gloom and doom” of the 1990s provides fertile ground for this type of cinema. But it will only survive if it can attract new viewers.
(Osteuropa 1/2012, pp. 109–126)