Teaching Post-Soviet Cinema after 2022

Session Submission Type: Roundtable

Brief Description

What does it mean to teach post-Soviet cinema now? Post-Soviet cinema is neither a postscript to the history of Soviet film nor a subset of Russian cinema. Rather, it is a robust body of work spanning cultures, comprising commercial and art cinema as well as documentary and experimental film. As a subject of undergraduate study, post-Soviet cinema can be a powerful vehicle to understand contemporary filmmaking and a means by which to explore the history and politics of the former Soviet region. However, the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine both renders the material itself more sensitive and exposes lacunae in how it has been approached in the past. This roundtable will gather scholars and teachers who are researching or teaching post-Soviet film in order to discuss both the promises and challenges of the subject as well as pedagogical methodology. The topics we hope to discuss include imperialism, nationalism, indigeneity, globalization, genre, auteurism, new media, and more.

Sub Unit

• Cinema, Television, Electronic Media

Chair

• Yuri Leving, Princeton U

Roundtable Members

• Gulnara Abikeyeva, Turan U (Kazakhstan)

• Evgeniia Eva Ivanilova, U of Pittsburgh

• Anastasia Kostina, Columbia U

• Daniel Witkin, U of Pittsburgh