После Тарковского

Andrei Plahov is a film scholar, film critic. Author of several books about contemporary cinema and the history of film. Honorary President of FIPRESCI. Programming Director of the Andrei Tarkovsky International Film Festival Zerkalo.

The idea of independent cinema was buried as obstinately and unsuccessfully as the idea of historical development. Postmodernism got entrenched in the late 20th century culture, and easily juggled with «the death of the Author» and «the end of History» concepts. Culture and art were stripped of ideology, but, it turned out, there was no place for the author’s individuality in that triumph of total freedom. Or this individuality had to be deformed in line with the demands of the mass audience-mostly composed of teenagers who have no experience with history.

Today, we are talking about the return of History-and that return does not mean the victory of reason, goodness, and justice. History is bloody and cruel; it ushers in wars (hot and cold ones), totalitarian regimes, and censorship. But, rather naturally, it also increases the role of the individual and their responsibility. The Author returns. What is it-a new modernism? Or, perhaps, we haven’t found the right word yet?