Stalin Is Thinking Of You!
As a part of this year’s James River Film Festival, there will be the United States premiere of “Stalin Thought of You” (2008, 58 minutes). Local film teacher and filmmaker Ted Salins, who will be introducing the film, sent the following via e-mail:
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“STALIN THOUGHT OF YOU” is a documentary about Boris Effimov, Russia’s most famous political cartoonist and propaganda animator. A close friend and early supporter of Trotsky, Boris is forced to work directly under Stalin. The film takes a suspenseful turn: the artist is compromised by the certainty that the dictator killed his brother. When Boris died at the age of 108 last September, the NY Times called him “the world’s oldest living Jew”.
Moscow based filmmaker Kevin McNeer (born and raised in Richmond) was one of Boris’ closest associates and the resulting interviews provide a living history narrative to the startling images. He will present the film and take questions.
Most astonishing is exhaustive research uncovering never seen before home movies of Boris with Stalin and Trotsky. Included are samples of Boris’ animated “agitprop” propaganda.
The James River Film Festival is screening the film at the Byrd Theater on Sunday April 19th at 5 PM for the first time in The United States.
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The Festival in its’ 16 year kicks off Easter Sunday with “Body of War” with director Ellen Spiro. “Body of War” will show a second time at the Bowtie Cinemas on the 19th. For the complete schedule and more information go to the JRFF site.
