Phil-Russia cultural exchange filmfest begins today

CEBU, Philippines - Most important Russian cinematic works will be part of the 2nd Philippine-Russian Business Forum that runs from October 23 to 24, 2010 at the Cebu International Convention Center in Mandaue City.

"A brief history of Russia through the Kino Eye - 100 years of cinema" event is curated and sponsored by the Tioseco-Bohinc Film Archive of Lapu-Lapu City.

This presentation of some of the most significant works of Russian cinema through the last 100 years will feature Sergei Eisenstein's "Strike" at 1 p.m. today, October 23, Room 106.

Strike is an 82-minute film released in 1925 which delves into the struggle of workers versus exploitative capitalists. This illustrates Eisenstein's montage technique of editing which reportedly "changed the film world forever."

This will be followed at 2:30 p.m. by the 1929 "Man with a Movie Camera" directed by Dziga Vertov. This 'was' and 'is' one of the most radical and avant garde film documentaries in world cinema history. Running time is 80 minutes.

At 4 p.m., V.I. Pudovkin's 1927 film "The End of St. Petersburg" (80 minutes) is set to tackle how the Bolsheviks take St. Petersburg and rename it Leningrad. After Communism, it becomes St. Petersburg again - the sister city of Cebu.

"Ivan the Terrible" (1944), at 5:30 p.m., is set to cap the first day of the filmfest. This is another important work of Sergei Eisenstein. Get the chance to view this 99-minute film in the traditional 16mm format. Tagline goes: Love and hated, Ivan the Terrible struggled to unify a chaotic Russia in the middle ages. 

Screening tomorrow, October 24, will begin with "The Cranes Are Flying" (1957) at 1 p.m., directed by Mikhail Kalatozov. The 99-minute flick tells about the sacrifices and personal struggles of a Russian family during World War II. It was learned that this is a winning film in the Palm D'Or Awards.

Andrei Tarkovsky's "Andrei Rublev" will follow at 2:45 p.m. This 205-minute movie released in 1971 and in 2002 is about an icon painter who wanders the countryside in the middle ages, as Russia struggles to adopt Christianity, and questions his beliefs in the midst of chaos.

"A French diplomat is set to take us through the world famous Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg for a journey through Russian history" via the 97-minute "The Russian Ark" (2002) directed by Alexander Sokurov. Viewing time is set at 5:30 p.m. Scenes were captured in one continuous shot with no editing cuts. (THE FREEMAN)