Cut from History: Unseen Women in Soviet Cinema of the 1920s

• In Event: Reclaiming Voices in Soviet and Post-Soviet Culture

Abstract

My paper explores Soviet women filmmakers of the 1920s, focusing on how their working conditions compared to the 1910s and their position within the hierarchy of Soviet cinema. The study primarily examines lesser known figures - female film editors at the Sovkino studio - who, unlike Elizaveta Svilova and Esfir Shub, were unable to gain recognition or build careers. I aim to shed light on the various professional paths and opportunities available to women in film editing during this period.

A key question of my paper is how to discuss the many invisible women who worked in Soviet cinema and sought recognition - writing poetry, engaging in public and educational activities, despite their near total absence from historical records. I also examine how fragmented archival evidence can help reconstruct their contributions and whether it is possible to write the history of Soviet cinema without acknowledging the experiences of these overlooked women.

Author

• Kirill Goriachok, U of Cambridge (UK)