ALEXANDRA

Vancity Theatre Screenings
Russia, 2007, 92 min, 35mm
In Russian with English subtitles

Directed By: Alexander Sokurov

VANCOUVER PREMIERE // VANCITY THEATRE EXCLUSIVE
The latest masterpiece from Alexander Sokurov stars none other than Russian opera legend Galina Vishnevskaya as a grandmother who ventures to the desolate, sun-bleached Chechen front in 2006 to visit her soldier grandson. What results is a film about war where we see no war; rather, viscerally feel its horrible futility. Impeccably shot on location in the middle of the battleground, with a monumental performance from Vishnevskaya, Alexandra balances gravity and lightness, and ends up as an ineffable portrait of the Russian soul. “A film of startling originality and beauty….I’ve seen Alexandra twice, and there are things in this remarkable film — bits of dialogue, one or two references and certainly the great heaviness of Russian identity — that remain out of my grasp. This may seem like a surprising confession, but art, including that created in Hollywood, rarely if ever reveals itself instantaneously…Alexandra isn’t a difficult film, but neither is it obvious. It’s a beautiful, eerie work of art about life and death and the love a grandson expresses when he plaits his grandmother’s hair. It has revealed some of its mysteries, and I’m sure it will reveal more when I return to it again.”—Manohla Dargis, The New York

Sunday, Aug 31 at 7:00 pm $9.50

Monday, Sep 1 at 9:00 pm $9.50

Friday, Sep 5 at 7:00 pm $9.50

Saturday, Sep 6 at 9:00 pm $9.50

Monday, Sep 8 at 7:00 pm $9.50