Russian Resurrection Film Festival

Overview

The largest screening of Russian films outside of the motherland, Russian Resurrection Film Festival returns to Auckland with its curated mix of box office hits, art house cinema and blend of new releases and revived classic titles.

Despite Russia facing an economic downturn and occupying a precarious position on the world stage, the country's film industry continues to turn out eloquent and complex works of cinema, with the festival organiser’s noting the “surprising diversity of voices and ideas that are present in Russian society today but invisible in mainstream perceptions,” – something fans of the wholly underrated but brilliantly satirical Leviathan already know.

Among the selection screening at Rialto Cinema is Teacha, wherein a history teacher tired of her morally bankrupt students takes a classroom hostage following the confiscation of a handgun; Battle For Sevastopol follows a young woman’s rise as a sniper in the Red Army, exploring the bravery of Soviet civilian volunteers in World War II; Once Upon A Time is a nostalgic portrayal of provincial Soviet life in the '70s, seen though the eyes of three teenagers experiencing love, loss, deception and betrayal for the first time.

The festival plays out from October 21 - 26.