Elegy of the Land - Maria/Last Day of a Rainy Summer

Synopsis
Two shorts by Alexander Sokurov about the significance of the land to Russia, where it has an almost spiritual meaning. Both films are embued with the director’s signature moody melancholy. MARIA, made in memory of Russian peasant Maria Semionovna Voinova, serves as not only a requiem for a hard-working woman but also for a way of life. Maria grew flax, and after her death, her secrets and methods of working in the fields were lost as so much had changed. THE LAST DAY OF A RAINY SUMMER was shot in 1978 on a Russian collective farm called a kolkhoze, which was responsible for supplying agricultural products for other parts of the country. The hard-working people love their work because they are brought up to do so, with almost no rewards from life, and in an atmostphere contaminated with official rhetoric. The film captures the daily routines of this farming community, a lifestyle fading even as it was being chronicled.

Additional DVD-ROM section includes editor’s notes, biography and filmography
Language
English
Country
Russian Federation
Year of release
2007
Year of production
1978-1988
Subjects
Agriculture; History
Keywords
communism; farming; peasants; Soviet Union

Credits

Director
Alexander Sokurov

Distribution Formats

Type
DVD
Format
Region 2 PAL
Price
£24.99
Availability
Sale
Duration/Size
40/30 minutes
Year
2007

Sections

Title
Maria
Duration
40 mins

Title
Last Day of a Rainy Summer
Duration
30 mins

Distributor

Name

Quantum Leap

Notes
The company ceased trading in 2018. It was previously a distributor and online retailer specialising in non-fiction DVD titles on a wide variety of subjects, particularly in the areas of music instruction, music performance, sport instruction, and health. Some titles also available through retail outlets.
 

Available from retail outlets

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