The Lonely Voice of Man

Films of Alexander Sokurov

Pushkin House is delighted to present a film programme dedicated to the acclaimed Soviet and Russian filmmaker Alexander Sokurov. Running from 1 to 15 November 2024, this special series of events features the UK premiere of his most recent work, Fairytale, and offers the opportunity to explore the major facets of his cinematic universe.

Alexander Sokurov's films are known for their meditative pacing, rich visual language, and exploration of existential themes. Often compared to his mentor, Andrei Tarkovsky, Sokurov has developed a rich tradition of spiritual and philosophical inquiry in cinema, creating a substantial body of work that delves into history, memory, love, war, and the human condition. His talent has been expressed in both fiction and documentary forms, earning him numerous prizes, including the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival.

Returning to the subject of power and its abuse throughout his career, Sokurov himself has been confronted with his subject matter  on more than one occasion. His very first feature film, The Lonely Voice of Man (1978), based on Andrei Platonov's writings, was condemned to destruction by Soviet authorities. Miraculously saved, it was only released nine years later during Perestroika. His most recent work, Fairytale (2022), which explores the afterlives of the major dictators of the 20th century, also faced censorship in contemporary Russia, and Sokurov himself was restricted from teaching in his filmmaking lab. Despite these challenges, he remains an unwavering artist, true to the path of art.

In addition to the aforementioned two films that bookends in his creative career, the programme includes two films from his cycle of documentary elegies—Oriental Elegy (1996) and Elegy of a Voyage (2001)—the captivatingly beautiful Mother and Son (1997), the renowned tetralogy of power: Moloch (1999), Taurus (2001), The Sun (2005), and the award-winning Faust (2011).

Still image from Fairytale (2022)

About Alexander Sokurov

Alexander Sokurov, born on June 14, 1951, in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia, is a Soviet and Russian filmmaker. He graduated from Gorky University with a degree in History in 1975 and later attended VGIK, a film school in Moscow, in 1979. Beginning his career in the 1970s, Sokurov faced Soviet censorship but began to gain  recognition in the 1980s,later achieving international acclaim with his innovative filmmaking techniques. Sokurov was  listed by the European Film Academy as one of the best 100 directors of world cinema. His works have been featured in major international film festivals such as Cannes, Berlin, and Toronto, and he won the Golden Lion at the 68th Venice Film Festival.