Man with a Movie Camera (Chelovek s kino-apparatom)

The musical group Montopolis warms up and performs at Ragtag Cinema during the screening of Man with a Movie Camera on April 15, 2022 in Columbia, Missouri. Photo by Stephen Bybee for Ragtag Film Society.

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Live Music for Silent Film

Man with a Movie Camera (Chelovek s kino-apparatom)
Directed by Dziga Vertov with a live score by Montopolis

Saturday, September 17, 7 pm

$12 / $8 Speed members

The Montopolis live musical score to the 1929 Ukrainian documentary Man with a Movie Camera is touring the U.S.  Revered as a visual masterpiece and one of the greatest documentaries ever made, the film gives historical context to the current Russian invasion and lays bare the costs of the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe.  Composer Justin Sherburn’s joyful original score celebrates the beauty and resilience of Ukraine’s people and aims to inspire American audiences to support the country in its time of need.

Man with a Movie Camera was commissioned by the Soviet regime under Joseph Stalin to showcase the might of industry in the cities of Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Odesa.  The composer’s romantic score transforms a nationalistic propaganda film into a celebration of the human spirit, emphasizing the humanity of the Ukrainian people over the industrial prowess of the Soviet Union. 1929, Soviet Union/Ukraine, DCP, silent with live score, 60 minutes. Recommended for 12+.