Watch Moscow Elegy

Moscow Elegy is a moving tribute to the Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky, who died in 1986, directed by the documentary filmmaker Chris Marker. It is a lyrical and haunting meditation on art, politics, and memory. The film is structured as a collage of archival footage, photographs, and interviews with Tarkovsky's family, friends, and collaborators. These fragments are organized around a series of themes that were central to Tarkovsky's life and work, such as nature, childhood, spirituality, and exile.

One of the most striking aspects of the film is its use of Tarkovsky's own voice, drawn from his diaries and interviews. These passages are read by the Italian screenwriter Tonino Guerra, who collaborated with Tarkovsky on his final film The Sacrifice. Guerra's warm and tender delivery imbues these words with a sense of intimacy and authenticity.

Another key element of the film is its exploration of Tarkovsky's relationship to his homeland. Tarkovsky was a deeply patriotic filmmaker who sought to express the essential qualities of the Russian soul in his art. Yet he was also a critic of the Soviet state and its culture of conformity and censorship. This tension is captured in the film's images of rural landscapes and religious iconography, juxtaposed with stark images of city streets and bureaucratic offices.

Moscow Elegy also pays tribute to Tarkovsky's technical innovation and his belief in the power of film to transcend language and other barriers. This is evident in the film's use of slow-motion, time-lapse, and other techniques to create a sense of otherworldly beauty and mystery.

The film is not solely a eulogy, however. It also reflects on the legacy of Tarkovsky's work and its continued relevance in a changing world. This is particularly evident in the insights provided by the contemporary Russian filmmaker Aleksandr Sokurov, who discusses the profound impact that Tarkovsky had on his own career.

Overall, Moscow Elegy is a deeply moving and thought-provoking tribute to one of the greatest filmmakers of the 20th century. It captures the essence of Tarkovsky's vision and his significance as an artist and a human being.