Fall 2025
Decolonizing the History of Soviet and Post-Soviet Cinema
Dates: September 01, 2025 - December 17, 2025Day/Time: Mondays 10:10–11:30 AM EDT
Level: 100-Level
Certificate: Global Humanities*
Instructor: Olga Kyrylova, Bard College
This course is designed to challenge the stereotypes of Soviet and Post-Soviet eras through the lens of film revealing many unknown facts from film history and from cultural and political history, helping shape new perspectives for the global world. The students are encouraged to apply decolonial frameworks to the analysis of the Soviet and Post-Soviet national cinemas, understanding local historical contexts of Baltic, Transcaucasian, Central Asian and East Slavic regions and interrogating the silenced histories and suppressed identities. The emphasis is shifted towards multicultural identities addressed from the point of view of diversity for such Soviet celebrities as S. Eisenstein (October), D. Vertov (The Eleventh), A. Bek-Nazarian (Zangezur), J. Streičs (Strange Passions), T. Okeyev (The Skies of Our Childhood), S. Parajanov (Ashik-Kerib), G. Daneliya (Hopelessly Lost), K. Muratova (Change of Fate), and many others, along with their legacy for lesser known filmmakers currently working on the Post-Soviet space. This course does not require prior knowledge of film history or Soviet studies, nor any other prerequisites.
Credits: 4 US / 8 ECTS