Russia
Russia Delegation
August 28–September 11, 2011
Filmmaker: Jordana Glick-Franzheim
Delegate Expert: Mitchell Block
Cities: Moscow, Yaroslavl, St. Petersburg
Delegate Report
By Jordana Glick-Franzheim
Executive Summary
The opportunity to bring a unique perspective of American life and history through the documentary medium to all generations of Russian citizens was both exciting and truly educational for both the audiences and me.
Over the course of ten days, the delegation to Russia successfully achieved two key aspects of the American Documentary Showcase by screening documentaries at the Show US! Film Festival in several Russian cities and by educating students, ranging from high school to graduate school level, about the American filmmaking process.
August 28–September 6: Moscow
The American delegation to Russia began its journey with the Show US! Film Festival in Moscow, which is part of the US and Russian bilateral presidential commission entitled “The American Seasons in Russia.” Established by President Obama and President Medvedev, this year-long program is designed to create long-term, people-to-people cooperation, and a better understanding of the two cultures.
Moscow - Jordana interviewed by TV Center news program
The first day of the festival began with several media interviews with Delegate Expert Mitchell Block (producer of the Showcase film Poster Girl) and me. We were interviewed by TV Center, a national news channel; A-One, a youth channel; and the radio program The Voice of Russia. Their questions were mainly about our films and our experience as producers. Here is a sampling of the many queries we fielded: “Why did you pick this story?”... “Why did it take ten years to make?”…“Was it difficult filming with a 10,000-pound elephant?”…“What is it like working in Hollywood?”…“Is it difficult to work in documentaries?”… Throughout the trip, I would hear some of the same questions at almost every lecture and screening.
I was honored to have my documentary One Lucky Elephant screen as the festival’s opening night film. Before the film began, US Ambassador John R. Beyrle gave a few remarks in Russian to a standing-room-only audience of all ages. During the post-screening Q&A, it was clear by the insightful questions that the audience was both moved and educated by the film. The questions ranged from wanting to know why the elephant and her owner could not see each other again to what the laws were regarding wild animals in captivity in America. Some audience members were so emotional that they could barely thank us as they left the theater. I was incredibly touched by this. I had grown up thinking that Russians were a traditionally stoic people, so to experience them being so moved that they were both speechless and energized by a myriad of thoughts and feelings certainly gave me a new perspective. Even the ambassador and his wife were so emotionally engaged by the inter-species “father-daughter” love story that they stayed afterwards to discuss with me the many questions the film raises.
Moscow - State University Dean Irina Khangeldieva, Jordana and Department Associate
Show US! received a lot of exposure. More than 80 banners were on display throughout the city, provided free of charge by the mayor of Moscow. In addition, several media outlets covered the festival. Only in its second year, Show US! screens at 35mm, one of the best cinemas in Moscow. It is a perfect venue for the Showcase films because of the general audience the cinema attracts. The festival charged no admission and was open to everyone. Every screening I attended was full, or close to it.
Organized by the US Embassy, the Show US! Film Festival successfully met its goal to enlighten audiences about American life, thanks primarily to the efforts of Cultural Affairs Specialists Irina Chernushkina and Masha lvova and the organization Cool Connections. The following AmDocs Showcase films screened at the festival: One Lucky Elephant; Soundtrack for a Revolution; If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front; Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo; Freedom Riders; and Poster Girl. The Embassy hopes to continue such programming in Russia.
After the opening night, Mitchell and I had separate speaking engagements for the remaining five days we were in Moscow. Each day we would have breakfast together and talk about the enthusiastic students and general public we had encountered at our respective events.
John R. Beyrle, US Ambassador to Russia (L) with Mitchell Block at a screenings of films for SHOW, sponsored by the US Embassy in Moscow
On September 3, I spoke at the American Center, which attracts Russians and US expatriates alike and provides many programs that celebrate American life. Approximately 55 people of all ages came to hear me lecture on the role of the director in fiction and nonfiction. The younger attendees mostly asked career questions. One young journalist wanted advice on what film school she should attend in the United States. Another woman gave me her short film and asked for advice about distribution and career choices. Some of the older audience members wanted to know why I chose to be in the film industry and what my parents thought about my career choice. I was very happy to see so many people in the library on a Saturday. The fact that so many people showed up for my lecture was very satisfying to the Embassy as well.
On September 5, I lectured at the International University of Moscow’s Art Management Department. This was a new contact for the Embassy. According to Irina Khangeldieva, the dean of the department, Art Management is a liberal arts program for students to learn management in all areas of the arts, be it film, visual arts, theater, etc.
I met with students interested in producing; they represented all five grade levels of the university. Roughly 35 students (almost all female, which is the norm in this area of education) and staff watched the first 15 minutes of One Lucky Elephant; then I spoke about my role as producer on the film. Having both fiction and nonfiction experience, I was also able to give the students a varied perspective on what it means to be a producer. By highlighting the differences in both sides of storytelling, the students were able to get some distinctions and apply their interests accordingly. At the end of my lecture, I was asked by the dean to write a ten-page article on producing, for an annual book the department publishes on art management. The class also asked me to watch a short film the students had made about social media and its impact on a newlywed couple. The students were very eager to get my opinion on the short film as it was one of the first the program had produced.
One Lucky Elephant was also the closing night film of the festival. Many of those who attended the screening stayed afterwards and asked questions about the realities elephants face in captivity. Once again it seemed that the audience was very moved and grateful for the insights the film provided. Their questions about captive breeding and elephants being emotional beings that we need to protect indicated to me that the audience not only got the message of the film but already had a certain level of awareness about wild animals. One of the highlights of the evening came when two 12-year-old boys told me that the story of the film was very interesting to them. For a generation that plays video games and watches YouTube, their interest meant a lot.
September 7–11: Yaroslavl
Yaroslavl - Show Us! Cultural Festival
Cultural Affairs Specialist Irina Chernushkina accompanied me on the trip to Yaroslavl, a very important trade city, and home to half a million Russians. After four hours on the train, we arrived and went straight to the first of several screenings planned over three days.
The first screening was part of Days of America, a cultural festival organized by Irina Novikova, head of the Russian American Association in Yaroslavl. One Lucky Elephant screened on the second day to an audience of about 30 people. Sadly, the Q&A period was cut short due to the tragic plane crash involving the celebrated Yaroslavl hockey team that occurred during the film presentation. For the next three days, I witnessed a city in mourning—the laying of flowers at monuments and churches, residents crying openly and honoring the players by wearing hockey jerseys. Many fans were even running through the streets yelling the names of their beloved team members who were tragically killed.
Yaroslavl - Show US! Festival audience member at Q & A
The next day, we screened One Lucky Elephant for 35 students from Yaroslavl State University and a general audience at the Yaroslavl Cinema Center and Studio. One of the oldest studios in the region, the Cinema Center is a wonderful space that epitomizes the history of Soviet Union film and television production. Organized by English professor Natalia Kasatkina, One Lucky Elephant was well received and truly resonated with the audience on an emotional level. One question in particular about captive elephants, and the fact that there are no sanctuaries in Europe, showed me that animal issues are global issues that every culture can identify and connect with.
Professor Kasatkina was so taken by the film that she arranged for us to screen it locally for tenth grade high school students the next day. Teacher Tatyana Sayfulina had two classes totaling about 60 students. After the screening, I led a Q&A with the relatively shy students, but once I was able to help them come out of their shells, I was pleased by their inquisitiveness. Most of their questions were about the film itself, but there were also a few about careers in the film industry. One young man even came up to me afterwards and asked how he could make a donation to support the elephant in the film.
Yaroslavl - High School student wanting to support elephant in film
Screening the film and talking to the high school students was one of the highlights of the trip. The other highlight was the fact that all the audiences I encountered in Russia clearly got the meaning and intention of the film. This is a testament to the documentary film medium, which can truly transcend borders, break down barriers, and touch people in both their hearts and their minds.
To me it was abundantly clear that the use of documentary to depict American life creates new perspectives on an American culture that very few have experienced unless they travel to the States. At every event, I encountered enthusiasm about my work and life experience. Everyone was very grateful for the opportunity to see the film and meet the filmmaker.
The huge interest in documentary films lies not only in the subject matter of each film screened but the fact that these extraordinary stories were made in America and offered a different window into a country that for many years was only visible in the form of blockbuster Hollywood movies or pop culture.
Special Thanks
A big thanks to Embassy Cultural Affairs Specialists Irina Chernushkina and Masha lvova, who worked their magic not only in getting Mitchell Block and I from point A to point B but also
in putting together a great festival and speaking program. The embassy is lucky to have them. I especially enjoyed getting to know Irina on our trip to Yaroslavl and learning so much about
Russian culture that a travel guide or book would never be able to tell me.
Postscript
September 26: St. Petersburg
On September 26, One Lucky Elephant screened at the Message to Man International Film Festival in St. Petersburg. Irina Chernushkina put me in contact with her counterpart at the Consul General’s office, Tatyana Kosmynina. Tatyana arranged for filmmakers Amanda Pope and Tchavdar Georgiev (who happens to be one of our editors); my producing partner, Cristina Colissimo; and me to speak at the State University School of Cinema and Television. Professor Vladimir Skobelev, who also is involved with the Message to Man Festival, had us speak about our work to all grade levels of the film school program. More than 150 students were in attendance. We showed clips from the film and then discussed the process of producing these projects and answered lots of questions about Hollywood and documentary filmmaking. Additionally, we had the pleasure of having lunch with Consul General Stephen A. Hubler. His insights into St. Petersburg and Russian culture were extremely informative, and we were very happy to have had this time with him