bcbm
5th April 2010, 07:07
Maggots and Men, an experimental historical narrative set in post-revolutionary Russia, re-tells the story of the 1921 uprising of the Kronstadt sailors with a subtext of gender anarchy. A thoughtful homage to Soviet silent era directors and artists of the Russian avant-garde, the film explores themes of re-invention, revolution, community, and corruption.
SYNOPSIS
The Kronstadt sailors had a long tradition as radicals and courageous fighters, beginning with the failed revolution of 1905 (the subject of Battleship Potemkin). Maggots and Men recounts some of the tragic and heroic events that occurred in March of 1921, when the Kronstadt sailors drafted a resolution that supported the factory workers on strike in nearby St. Petersburg. The Kronstadt sailors’ resolution unleashed a chain of events that culminated in a two-week long battle, which after heavy losses on both sides, ended with victory for the Bolsheviks.
The film documents the Provisional Revolutionary Committee as they transform, from cohesive to chaotic, as tensions rise in the weeks before battle. Scenes include the strikes in Saint Petersburg, community gardens on the island, life at the base during peacetime, the sailors presenting their resolution to an unwelcoming congress, and the two-week standoff between the sailors and the Red Army. Acknowledging a long tradition of homosexuality amongst sailors, the film has provocative sex scenes that evolve organically out of teamwork in close quarters.
WHY THIS FILM IS IMPORTANT
Maggots and Men is set in the all male environment of a Russian naval base, but cast with actors from a range of masculine gender expressions, resulting in a film that redefines male, challenges the binary gender construct, and intentionally creates confusion.
Maggots and Men positions the struggle for gender equality within a larger struggle for peace and justice. The unique intersection of subject matter brings together both transgender and queer communities as well as audiences members attracted to the political and historical content of the film creating opportunities for cross-community dialogue.
LOOK AND TREATMENT
Mimicking newsreel footage and silent era films, the film is shot on black and white 16mm and Super-8 film stock. The visual and aural texture will be reminiscent of early Soviet cinema while contemporary influences will reveal themselves upon closer reading. The soundtrack will include an original score performed by a four-piece chamber ensemble. Dialogue will be in Russian and English with English subtitles.
website (http://homepage.mac.com/gowithflo/krondweb/index.html)
this sounds pretty interesting
SYNOPSIS
The Kronstadt sailors had a long tradition as radicals and courageous fighters, beginning with the failed revolution of 1905 (the subject of Battleship Potemkin). Maggots and Men recounts some of the tragic and heroic events that occurred in March of 1921, when the Kronstadt sailors drafted a resolution that supported the factory workers on strike in nearby St. Petersburg. The Kronstadt sailors’ resolution unleashed a chain of events that culminated in a two-week long battle, which after heavy losses on both sides, ended with victory for the Bolsheviks.
The film documents the Provisional Revolutionary Committee as they transform, from cohesive to chaotic, as tensions rise in the weeks before battle. Scenes include the strikes in Saint Petersburg, community gardens on the island, life at the base during peacetime, the sailors presenting their resolution to an unwelcoming congress, and the two-week standoff between the sailors and the Red Army. Acknowledging a long tradition of homosexuality amongst sailors, the film has provocative sex scenes that evolve organically out of teamwork in close quarters.
WHY THIS FILM IS IMPORTANT
Maggots and Men is set in the all male environment of a Russian naval base, but cast with actors from a range of masculine gender expressions, resulting in a film that redefines male, challenges the binary gender construct, and intentionally creates confusion.
Maggots and Men positions the struggle for gender equality within a larger struggle for peace and justice. The unique intersection of subject matter brings together both transgender and queer communities as well as audiences members attracted to the political and historical content of the film creating opportunities for cross-community dialogue.
LOOK AND TREATMENT
Mimicking newsreel footage and silent era films, the film is shot on black and white 16mm and Super-8 film stock. The visual and aural texture will be reminiscent of early Soviet cinema while contemporary influences will reveal themselves upon closer reading. The soundtrack will include an original score performed by a four-piece chamber ensemble. Dialogue will be in Russian and English with English subtitles.
website (http://homepage.mac.com/gowithflo/krondweb/index.html)
this sounds pretty interesting