A pretty perfectly judged 75 minutes of cinema was on show yesterday, in the form of the Russian Golden Lion hopeful,
Ovsyanki(Silent Souls). During this refreshingly stripped back running time was a film unlike any I'd ever seen. It is pretty straightforward in terms of story: after a man's young wife dies suddenly (the cause is never disclosed) he enlists the help of a colleague in disposing of the body in accordance with the local custom. The characters here are Meryar, descendants of a 400-year-old Finnish tribe once native to that part of western Russia, but now all but forgotten. They have different and non-traditional names for places and people, but most strikingly different are their rituals to do with marriage and death and the expression of grief. The narrative is structured in such a way that we see a stage of the ritual out of any context to give it meaning. Then we are told, via one of the men's narration (Aist, played by
Igor Sergeyev), about the history and significance of that step in the mourning process. It is a window onto a world seldom seen or heard about - presumably as much for a Russian audience as for any other. It is fascinating and intriguing viewing. And director,
Aleksei Fedorchenko, knows exactly how fascinating his subject matter is, with many scenes holding on a single frame to upwards of five minutes.
His digital photography of the bleak Russian countryside is beautiful and one shot in particular - a 180 degree pan from inside a moving car - is really something special. Another shot, reminiscent of one from the Welsh documentary Sleep Furiously, watches a choir conductor throughout his performance, whilst the choir itself remains unseen. These bravura camera techniques serve a purpose, highlighting the unnoticed richness and passion which underlies its banal and ignored subjects. Silent Souls is also another one of the many films so far at this festival that depicts and discusses graphic sexual acts. Here the grieving man, Miron (
Yuriy Tsurilo), takes part in a process the Meryar call "smoking", which involves telling intimate details to strangers as a way of "turning grief into tenderness". This involves him saying such things as "all three of her holes were working and it was me who unsealed them". It never out-stays its welcome and always has something new and interesting to show you, in its slow, deliberate and beautifully banal way, sometimes with an odd and unsettling atmosphere. Silent Souls also has plenty to say about culture, tradition, belief and love. Many films today say far less over 3 hours than this film manages in 75 minutes. Which isn't bad going. Venice 2010 So Far;
SOMEWHERE; Every bit as poignant as LOST IN TRANSLATION, if not quite as fresh.BLACK SWAN; A rare and beautiful thing a perfect movieLA PECORA NERA (The Black Sheep)MIRAL; So contrived, so false, so cravenly seeking out approval that it lacks impactHAPPY FEW; the best, and funniest film about sex since HUMPDAYNORWEGIAN WOOD; A handsomely made failureLEGEND OF THE FIST: THE RETURN OF CHEN ZHENSHOWTIME; Quirky Chinese comedy thats STEP UP/STREETDANCE with Time Travel!BLACK SWAN best film of the year left me devastated, excited, tense and emotionally drained