Editor

The 37th International Film Festival in Göteborg turns its gaze eastward. The Russian film tradition is one of the world’s most famous and Russia is currently one of the most interesting countries for film.
“We have a large and broad Russian film program that is both artistically strong and that takes up current events in Russia. Several of the films touch upon subjects about the distribution of the country’s resources and the restrictions on freedom of speech,” says Marit Kapla, artistic director at the Göteborg International Film Festival.

Both renowned filmmakers and a younger generation with new perspectives will be included in the festival’s Russian focus. The film program also mirrors the contemporary political and social situation in Russia, as well as events that have recently drawn much attention, such as the trial against the festival’s poster artists, Pussy Riot, and the coming Winter Olympics in Sochi. The program includes documentaries and fictional films, both of which have their finger on the pulse of Russian society and which provide nuanced perspectives on the world’s largest country. Circa 20 films will be shown as part of the Russian focus. In addition, a number of current directors and actors will visit the 37th film festival. A selection of the program’s Russian films can be found below.