Focus on the Russian Director presenting "Director's Diary" in Venice
(2025, Russia, Italy, 305')
A monumental documentary spanning five hours, blending historical memory, spiritual reflection, and experimental storytelling. Based on the director’s personal diaries, written from 1961 to 1995, the project weaves together archival footage, Soviet propaganda films, and period cinematic materials, creating an impressionistic portrait of Russia and the world in the postwar era. Sokurov describes the work as a “spiritual biography” inviting viewers to turn the pages of history like a symbolic and evocative book.
Aleksandr Sokurov (Podorvikha, 1951) is one of the most important contemporary Russian filmmakers. After studying history and cinematography, he began his career in documentary, exploring themes of power and memory. His first feature, The Lonely Voice of Man (1978), was censored by Soviet authorities. At the Venice Film Festival he won the Golden Lion for Faust in 2011 and presented Francofonia in Competition in 2015.
