On the occasion of his first online film retrospective, director Sergei Loznitsa decided to greet all the documentary fans of the DAFilms.com portal. He wrote a text that now sees the light of day for the first time and we would like to thank him for it!
On the occasion of his first online film retrospective, director Sergei Loznitsa decided to greet all the documentary fans of the DAFilms.com portal. He wrote a text that now sees the light of day for the first time and we would like to thank him for it!
Dear friends,
You are about to watch a selection of films made during the past 15 years. All of them, except for one, were filmed in Russia. In rural or provincial parts of the country where one can easily get lost not only in space but also in time.
Thus, I'm about to invite you on a journey. A journey through my experience of the post-Soviet space-time continuum, which has been troubling, provoking, challenging, inspiring and fascinating me ever since I began reflecting upon the world around me.
Kira Muratova once said that "a documentary filmmaker cheats on his spectators more than a feature filmmaker does". Indeed, it's a common misconception to think that a "documentary film" means "true to reality" and that a "documentary filmmaker" is somebody who "records events of real life". In fact, we use the same means as feature film directors do: framing, montage, sound design and even sometimes rehearsals with characters.
Every film, be it a feature or a documentary, is but a statement of a filmmaker who employs shadows on white screen in order to make his point. To communicate an idea. To create a world of his own.
So, welcome to all of you!
Sincerely yours,
Sergei Loznitsa
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