Russian Resurrection Film Festival 2018

Overview

It was the 1980s. The rock and roll sounds of David Bowie, Lou Reed and Talking Heads were secretly making their way through Russia, and making their impact on the next generation, including on future Leningrad rock icon Viktor Tsoi. Summer — also known as Leto — tells this tale, in the latest film by director Kirill Serebrennikov. Captured with detailed monochrome frames, it's the kind of movie that makes you feel like you were there. Coming to Australia after premiering at this year's Cannes Film Festival, it's also one of 2018's Russian Resurrection Film Festival highlights.

Other standouts include sports drama The Coach, concentration camp-set effort Sobibor, and comedy Night Shift — which follows tradies forced to start stripping to pay the bills, in what sounds like Russia's answer to The Full Monty. The Challenge sees a production of Romeo and Juliet overtaken by terrorists, while Jumpman skewers Russian corruption. And for those keen on some cinema history, the fest's retrospective is dedicated to the 100-year anniversary of Lenfilm Studios in St. Petersburg, as well as and the 90-year anniversary of filmmaker Vitaliy Melnikov.

That's all on the agenda when the Russian Resurrection Film Festival hits Elsternwick's Classic Cinema from Monday, November 5 to Sunday, November 18 — and ACMI on the weekends of Friday, November 9 to Sunday, November 18, too. If you need an extra incentive to head along, 2018 also marks a massive 15 years since RRFF first hit Aussie screens, so the fest will be in a partying mood.