Summary

Elena Stishova. Marriage banquet with a vengeance

Analysis of a unique aesthetic form of the actual narration about Chernobyl tragedy by helmer Alexandre Mindadze. Different approaches to the Competition entry of Berlinale are considered. According to the article, whereas Western press referred to INNOCENT SATURDAY as catastrophe movie, it is rather a profound metaphorical parable.

INNOCENT SATURDAY, metaphor, Alexandre Mindadze, parable, Chernobyl, catastrophe movie

Alexandre Mindadze: «We were making our film about «always»

Interview by Nina Zarkhi

Zara Abdullayeva. Novel-fantasy

The Berlin Panorama entry TARGET by Alexandre Zeldovich is treated in various aspects of the fresh in Russian cinema trend of art-mainstream. Style of the first post-Soviet futurological film is primarily seen as both the focus and contents of the picture.

Art-mainstream, Berlinale, Alexandre Zeldovich, conflict, TARGET, style, futurological film

Alexandre Zeldovich: «Not to become crowfoot»

Interview by Elena Paisova

UFO and dances on the volcano

International press on Russian entries at Berlinale (INNOCENT SATURDAY, TARGET).

Nina Tsyrkun. Sending up to the wilds

Coverage of the latest Berlinale-2011. Observing mostly the Official selection, the author argues that ideologically the films in Programme are united by the cut-through theme of sending up to the wilds as testing humankind and insistent calling for missionary in the world of overwhelming chaos and prognostication of Apocalypse.

Berlinale-2011,TRUE GRIT, KHODORKOVSKY, SLEEPING SICKNESS, A TORINOI LO, sending up to the wilds, mission, prognostication

Jeanna Vasilyeva. Divorce in Iranian style

Review of Asghar Farhadi's NADER AND SIMIN, A SEPARATION (Iran).

The Golden Bear winner by the Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi's NADER AND SIMIN. A SEPARATION is considered as the attempt at rare synthesis of art-house and genre cinema, uniting intricate polyphonic structure of intelligent idea with melodramatic or criminal comedies. The film is seen in the context of the helmer's creation against the background of the nowadays Iranian cinema.

Berlinale, NADER AND SIMIN, A SEPARATION, The Golden Bear, ambiguity, political gesture, psychological thriller, frame, Asghar Farhadi

Anton Dolin. A story (not) about a horse

Review of Bela Tarr's A TORINOI LO (Hungary — France — Germany — Switzerland — USA).

Artistic texture and the intricate philosophical concept of the Hungarian helmer Bela Tarr's A TORINOI LO is analyzed. A true episode from Friedrich Nietzsche's biography as the starting point of the conception ushers in consideration of the vital metaphysical and moral problems as they appear not only in the Tarr's fim, but also in creation of such great Russian writers as Tolstoy and Dostoevsky.

Apocalypse, Bela Tarr, Berlinale, Nietzsche, CRIME AND PUNISHMENT, the last film, A TORINOI LO

Vika Smirnova. After Apocalypse

Review of Bela Tarr's A TORINOI LO (Hungary — France — Germany — Switzerland — USA).

Two major methodological principles of Bela Tarr's creation are treated through A TORINOI LO — that is minimalistic cut and theatricality, which allows him create metaphorical stories. Through the examples of the other Tarr's films the author dwells on such important peculiarities of his aesthetics as the sense of spontaneity, symbolic mediation of the image, endless prolongation of the image, refrains, circular sliding, etc.

Bela Tarr, story, minimalism, parable of Apocalypse, theatricality, A TORINOI LO, extinction of life, entropy

Zara Abdullayeva. Trial of anonymity

Review of Rodrigo Moreno's UN MUNDO MISTERIOSO (Argentine — Germany)

The nature of screen simulation of time is analyzed through the reviewing of Rodrigo Moreno's UN MUNDO MISTERIOSO. Improvisation as the structure-forming of daily routine is the key condition of the style of contemporary post-Impressionism and the Argetinean helmer as its adherent.

Berlinale, Buenos Aires, time, cinema observation, Rodrigo Moreno, daily routine, habitation, UN MUNDO MISTERIOSO, a man of background

Olga Shakina. Visit of Minotaur

Review of Michael R. Roskam's RUNDSKOP (Belgium — Holland).

The possibilities of genre cinema, mainly criminal thriller are analyzed as singling out the problem of man's self-identification in radically changed global world. Basing on Michael R. Roskam's RUNDSKOP, the author concentrates on transformation of existentional theme of 'a deadman cruising' into epic of a hero's survival in post-polar world devoid of clear-cut notions of god and evil.

Belgium, RUNDSKOP, heroic epic, hormone mob, Michael R. Roskam, post-polar world, self-identification, false

Andrei Plakhov. Post-totalitarian Impressionism

Review of Paula Markovitch's EL PREMIO (Mexico — France — Poland — Germany).

Characteristic features of modern Argentinean cinema are specified on the example of Berlinale-2011's winner EL PREMIO by Paula Markovitch.'s: ardour of phenomenology of province, its imagination with a shift towards Surrealism, sentiment and sluggishness of inner movement.

Argentinean school, Berlinale, junta, secrecy, Paula Markovitch, political protest, EL PREMIO

Tamara Dondurei. Against interpretation

Review of Wim Wenders' PINA (Germany — France — Gr. Britain).

Evolution and implementation of the original conception by Wim Wenders in his PINA presented at Berlinale-2011. Various phases of work by Pina Bausch, from etudes with the dancers on the themes suggested, up to the complete stage construction are analyzed as well as the method of Wenders himself. The author arrives at the conclusion about the isomorphism of the approaches to the comprehension of human behavior, imagining a character, portrayal of people and townscapes.

Pina Bausch, Wim Wenders, Le Sacre du printemps, category of momentariness, Caf? Mueller, Kontakthof, Pina in 3D, Harvest moon, involvement, experiment

Igor Sukmanov. Towards Swans

Review of Hugo Vieira da Silva, Heidi Wilm's SWANS (Germany — Portugal).

Various forms of contemporary cinema's interest towards its own nature are analyzed. An intellectual drama SWANS by Hugo Vieira da Silva and Heidi Wilm is treated as phenomenological study of verbal nonsense and search of sense through contemplation of things and human body. The author argues, that the film in question is the experiment, proving subject matter as the evidence of cinema as moving pictures par excellance.

Berlinale, intellectual melodrama, SWANS, tactile, contemplation, body, estrangement

Elena Plakhova. A wrong film

Review of Jonathan Sagall's LIPSTIKKA (Izrael — Gr. Britain).

When analyzing the Jonathan Sagall's LIPSTIKKA with its leftist Radicalism the author points out to nowadays festival market condition overshadowing the artistic value in favor of political scandal. Treatment of aesthetic and ideological nature of the film clears up ambiguous interpretation and polar characterizations of the helmer's message.

Berlinale, Lipstick, Jonathan Sagall, Izrael, lesbian love, Palestine, psychoanalytical thriller, scandal

Olga Shakina. In search of Erich

Review of J.C. Chandor's MARGIN CALL (USA).

The extention of frontiers primarily framed by thriller as genre is analyzed. The new stuff of economic and financial problems implies the change in rules of ideal narration; interrelations become the only catalyst of suspense.

Human-unhuman, antagonistic pairs, MARGIN CALL, rules of narration, J.C. Chandor

Marina Drozdova. Archeologists under the big top

Review of Werner Herzog's CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS (Canada — USA — France — Germany —

Gr. Britain).

Dmitry Desyaterik. Mother, lies and camera

Review of Milcho Manchevski's MOTHERS (Macedonia).

Kirill Razlogov. Bergman in the context of Berlinale

An outline of Ingmar Bergman's creative work as a meditation on his major retrospective in Berline.

Larisa Malyukova. Paper games

Portrayal of the animation classic, legend of silhouette cinema Michel Ocelot. Basing on his latest full-length LES CONTES DE LA NUIT in 3D, presented at Berlinale, the author studies evolution of style and method by Ocelot, his innovations such as cutting out of plain paper, work with mirrors, computer graphics, stereocinema and 3D.

Michel Ocelot, tale, LES CONTES DE LA NUIT, silhouette animation, universalism, cinema installation

Sergei Fomenko. Taboo revived

Freak-culture and FREAKSHOW of Drew Bell.

Roman Gutek: «One school move forward»

Interviewed and commented by Dina Nazarova.

Alexandra Novozhenova. «How soon is now»

Symposium stuff.

Tarin Simon: «We just repeat the ever existed»

Conversed by Hans Ulrich Obrist.

David Weiss: «We act as hunters»

Conversed by Beatrix Ruff.

Leigh Ledare. Portrait of interrelations

Conversed by Tom Eccles.

Gilad Ratman — Andre Rotman — Alex Klein: «Not everyone catches up with one's works»

Conversed by Tim Griffin.

Marina Abramovich. The place of a spectator is sacred

Andrei Shcherbinin. A revolver

A script.

Daniil Dresvyannikov. Waftage

A script.