The Pantheon of IFFK: Lifetime
Mother and Son / Mat i syn
Alexander Sokurov
Director's bio
Alexander Sokurov
Alexander Sokurov (born June 14, 1951) is a Russian filmmaker celebrated for his contemplative, painterly style and philosophical explorations of history, power, and human fragility. Sokurov studied history before enrolling at VGIK (the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography), where he was mentored by Andrei Tarkovsky. His early works often clashed with Soviet authorities, but he persisted, developing a unique cinematic language marked by long takes, distorted lenses, and meditative pacing. Sokurov’s breakthrough came with Mother and Son (1997), a poetic meditation on mortality, followed by Russian Ark (2002), a technical marvel filmed in a single unbroken Steadicam shot through the Hermitage Museum, chronicling centuries of Russian history. His filmography spans fiction and documentary, with notable works including Father and Son (2003), The Sun (2005), Alexandra (2007), Faust (2011, Golden Lion at Venice), Francofonia (2015), and Fairytale (2022). Sokurov’s “tetralogy of power” — Moloch (1999, about Hitler), Taurus (2001, Lenin), The Sun (2005, Emperor Hirohito), and Faust (2011) — interrogates the nature of authority and its destructive allure.
Synopsis
This film is about a son's journey with his mother who is on her deathbed. A farewell to his dying mother, the film portrays the emotional and spiritual tie that exists between a mother and her son.
Details of Cast
Aleksei Ananishnov, Gudrun Geyer
Details of Crew
DoP: Aleksey Fyodorov Editor: Leda Semyonova Music: Mikhail Ivanovich Sound Design: Vladimir Persov
Producer Details
Thomas Kufus
Writer Details
Yuriy Arabov
Stills
Films in this category
1960
Breathless
1974
Chorus
1997
Leila
2011
The Turin Horse
1976
Raise Ravens
1965
Fists in the Pocket
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