"AlekseiGhermanjunior’sfilmTheLastTrainpremieredinMoscowinmidDecemberduringthefilmfestivalStalker,whichalsoawardedittheprizeforthebestfilm.However,itsfirstscreeninghadalreadytakenplaceinthe‘controcorrente’competitionoftheVeniceFilmFestivalinSeptember.Thefilm,dealingwiththemeofwarandshotinblackandwhite,remainedunnoticedbythepressinthecontextoftheVeniceFilmFestival(preoccupiedalmostexclusivelywithZviagintsev’sTheReturn),althoughitwasawardedaprize.InMoscow,itmaderatheradifferentimpression,especiallywhensetinthecontextoffilmsdealingwithhumanrightsissues.Gherman’sfilmis,inasense,aresponsetohisfather’swarfilm20DayswithoutWar.Maybethisexplainstheoddityofayoung,clearlytalenteddirectorventuringonhisdebutfilmintothetroddenterritoriesofthewarfilm,athemethatdominatedRussiancinemaingeneral,buthadalsobeendealtwithbyhisfather.ForGhermanJunior,however,warknowsneitherwinnersnorlosers:insteadofexploringthehistoryofWWII,Ghermanlooksatthefateoftwomenwhohavef
2024-09-30
