Confession

It is unusual to bring a film back to the festival so soon (it was screened two years ago in Rotterdam), but this is not just any film. The drama last summer with the Russian nuclear submarine Kursk has given this long video film by Sokurov undue significance. The film is a mixture of fiction, essay and documentary and, via the diary of the captain of a submarine like the Kursk, it provides a variety of reflections about the fate of Russia. On screen, dozens of anonymous young sailors pass by and the film provides a picture of everyday routine in the submarine. Within the programme, this film is a counterpoint to The Hunt for Red October which also focuses on the captain of a submarine like the Kursk, but that film is a very long way away from this one in film style and politicalvision. (GjZ)