Members Only - Soviet Magical Realism

Under the spell of Magical Realism, artists arouse subjects with mysticism in the poetry of everyday life, infusing a formalist reality with esotericism and wonder. However, under the steel thumb of the Politburo, all tendencies towards otherworldly narratives and ethnic tradition were squashed in hopes of cementing a Socialist citadel in the Arts. How then, under the casuistry of censorship, did Soviet filmmakers produce some of the most acclaimed works of the genre? This lecture will explore Magical Realism after the 1960s, focusing on familiar names, such as Sokurov and Parajanov, as well as less celebrated, though no less influential, filmmakers of the epoch.