The Vanished Empire February 12, 2010

This series is free and open to the public. All films are shown in Jepson Hall 118 unless otherwise noted. Friday showings are at 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday showings are at 7:30 p.m. The films are shown in the original language with English subtitles. For more information, please contact Paul Portefield.

The Vanished Empire

February 12 and 14
Russia, 2008
Directed by Karen Shakhnazarov
105 minutes (No MPAA rating)

The Vanished Empire centers on a high-spirited teenage love triangle: childhood friends Sergey Narbekov (Alexander Lyapin) and Stepan Molodsov (Yegor Baranovsky) both fall for the beautiful Lyuda Beletskaya (Lidiya Milyuzina) - and as a result, are forced to re-evaluate their childhood attachments. In the background of this life-altering romance, Soviet culture is at the peak of its power and on the verge of an irreversible collapse. As the three youngsters struggle with the typical teenage discoveries, which include the intoxicating trappings of Western culture, the overarching Soviet ideology that shaped their childhood begins to lose its power. Stealing his grandfathers Russian books and selling them at a used bookstore has become a habit for Sergey; with the profits, he manages to purchase a new pair of jeans or the latest Rolling Stones' album in the local black market. And while the police actively condemn the illegal exchange of Western products, they seem resigned to simply repress, but not stop, what is already an irrevocable part of Russian daily life. Winner of two Russian Golden Eagle Awards for Best Director (Karen Shakhnazarov) and Best Supporting Actor (Armen Djigarkhanyan), The Vanished Empire expertly recreates Brezhnev-era Moscow, and balances a tale of love and angst against the background of world relations and the crumbling of walls between them.

Official Website: http://library.richmond.edu/mrc/international-film-series.html