(Начало / The Beginning / Debut)
Directed by Gleb Panfilov
91 minutes
In Russian with English subtitles

This tender and unique movie stunned audiences when it  jumped onto the screens of the Soviet Union back in the 70s. From its radically playful approach to storytelling, to its phenomenal  performance by the main actress, to the jangling electric guitar riffs that sound like they were pounded out by a surf band—this riveting flick centers on the role of women in Russia during the late 1960s. It captures their demands to be recognized for both their vulnerability and their firm independence at the same time. It is about one woman's journey, and how art helps to crystalize her instincts and identity.

It has a 'film within a film' structure. It principally follows the everyday life of a female factory worker named Pasha (Inna Churikova) who is suddenly chosen to act in a big movie production about the life of Jeanne D'arc, in which she plays the lead role. This offer comes from out of the blue. Nachalo starts off by immediately throwing us directly into the turmoil, as events unfold, flipping back and forth between Pasha's attempts to find love and key episodes of the life of Jeanne D'arc. Parallels are drawn between both of them... Pasha and Jeanne D'arc come from humble backgrounds, they are both brave, have been betrayed, have moments of doubt—yet they still believe in their path and deeper feelings despite all odds.

It is also pretty clear that women had a much firmer position in Soviet society than their counterparts here in the West during the same period. When women here were forced into secretary roles and stereotyped as playthings in the West, in Russia they were not demoted and humiliated. As one viewer recently said about this flick "I especially like the fact that equality—both gender and race—seems pretty much baked into Soviet society." Let's be clear, it wasn't perfect, but it exceeded anything here in the West by far.

Last month, on January 14th, the main actress Inna Churikova died, sending a shiver through the film world of the former East Bloc. She was an unusual type, breaking every mold of what was popular or even considered beautiful. Instead she had a kind of vulnerability, but also an incredibly bold spirit at the same time. This was one of her iconic films, and it displays the entire range of her amazing skills... from a timid and shy soul, to a soaring angel—bringing together the cosmic and the everyday.

This bittersweet flick has basically never screened here in the West, making this another exceptionally rare screening... and at the same time, of course, it will be a tribute to actress Inna Churikova.