After the Polish premiere of The Event, the newest film by Sergei Loznitsa, one of Russia’s preeminent contemporary Russian directors, join us for a discussion about the fall of the Soviet Union, its historical significance, and consequences in our times. We’re glad to announce that Sergei Loznitsa will be among the panelists.
The Event is made exclusively of archival footage. Its narrative places the viewer amidst the crowds that filled the streets of Leningrad in April 1991 to observe the events unfolding all around. The movie perfectly captures the mood of these days, letting us experience an atmosphere impossible to glean from media broadcasts – it is a unique study of the idea of social movements. Submitting to this experience allows us to gain a broader view of the times of transformation and gives us the tools to analyze the current situation in Russia and abroad.
The topics of our debate will include the possibility of a different turn of events after 1989. Was the resurgence of authoritarianism in Russia inevitable? What are the ideological foundations and visions of the future that accompany today’s Russia in shaping itself into a world power?
The panel will be composed of:
Sergei Loznitsa – director of The Event, one of the most significant Russian filmmakers of our times, the author of In the Fog, My Joy, Blockade, Maidan and many other movies.
Viktor Yerofeyev – Russian writer and essayist, author of best-selling books translated into dozens of foreign languages. His works are a sarcastic, ironic take on Russian myths and culture (The Good Stalin, Russian Beauty).
Wacław Radziwinowicz – journalist and columnist, Gazeta Wyborcza‘s correspondent in Moscow for 18 years (expelled from Russia in December 2015); author of several books, including the Nike nominee Gogol w czasach Google’a: korespondencje z Rosji 1998–2012; recipient of the Officer’s Cross of Polonia Restituta.
Piotr Skwieciński – journalist and columnist, former chairman of the Polish Press Agency, Rzeczpospolita’s former correspondent in Moscow, recipient of the Knight’s Cross of Polonia Restituta.
Moderator:
Jakub Moroz – journalist, Deputy Director of TVP Kultura
Partner: TVP Kultura
