By Pinehas Nakaziko
WINDHOEK–The White Sun of the Desert movie will kick off the first ever Russian film festival in Namibia as from Monday to Friday at the Goethe Centre.
The White Sun of the Desert is an Action, Adventure and Comedy movie directed by Vladimir Motyl and is about a soldier of the Red Army, named Sukhov, who has been fighting in the Russian Civil War in Russian Asia for many years. Just as he is about to return home to his wife, Sukhov is chosen to guard and protect the harem of a guerilla leader. The movie will screens at Seven O’clock (19h00).
Hello, I’m Your Aunt! , directed by Viktor Titov, is a comedy movie screening on Tuesday evening night at Seven O’clock (19h00). It is about unemployed and homeless Babbs Baberley, who is being chased by the police attempting to arrest him for vagrancy. Babbs finds himself in a rich house, where he encounters Charlie and Jackie to who he is an aunty. Babbs’ unsuccessful attempt to disguise himself as a woman gives Charlie and Jackie an idea. By threatening to surrender Babbs to the (successfully bribed) police, they force their unexpected visitor to dress once again as a woman and pass himself for Donna Rosa d’Alvadorez, Charlie’s millionaire aunt who is expected to arrive on a visit from Brazil.
The next movie on Wednesday evening at Seven O’clock (19h00) is The Island, directed by Pavel Lungin. This drama was shot in Northern Russia during World War II. The sailor Anatoly, and his captain, Tikhon, are captured by the Nazis when they board their barge and tugboat, which is carrying a shipment of coal. The Nazi officer leading the raid offers Anatoly the choice to shoot Tikhon and stay alive, which Anatoly reluctantly takes, and Tikhon falls overboard. The Nazis blow up the ship but Anatoly is found by Russian Orthodox monks on the shore the next morning. He survives and becomes a stoker at the monastery but is perpetually overcome with guilt.
The next movie on Thursday evening at seven O’clock (19h00) ,The Pokrovsky Gate, directed by Mikhail Kozakov, is a comedy drama and musical movie about Konstantin “Kostik” Romin, who has come to Moscow to study history and is staying with kind aunt Alisa, who lives in a “communal apartment” building there. His life soon becomes intertwined with those of the other residents. The last movie to be screened is Stroll, directed by Alexei Uchitel. This romantic drama is about three young romantics as they dance around St. Petersburg, Russia, getting themselves involved in everything from a soccer riot, a rainstorm and a fight between best friends.
This first Russian film festival in Namibia has been organised by the Russian Embassy in Namibia. The whole week of screenings will be dedicated to classic and modern movies that are representative of the contemporary Russian cinematography.