State Funeral

(Gosudarstvennyye pokhorony)

In Conversation

  • Anne Nesbet is a Professor of Slavic Languages and Literatures and Film & Media at UC Berkeley.

The news of Joseph Stalin’s death on March 5, 1953, shocked the entire Soviet Union. The burial ceremony was attended by tens of thousands of mourners. Sergei Loznitsa presents unique, previously unseen archival footage of this historical moment, showing the culmination of the dictator’s personality cult. We observe every stage of the funeral spectacle, described by Pravda newspaper as “the Great Farewell,” and receive unprecedented access to the dramatic and absurd experience of life and death under Stalin’s reign. The film offers insight into the nature of the regime and its legacy, still haunting the contemporary world.

FILM DETAILS 
Language
  • Russian
  • with English subtitles
Print Info
  • B&W/Color
  • DCP
  • 135 mins
Source
  • Mubi

Event Accessibility

If you have any questions about accessibility or require accommodations to participate in this event, please contact us at bampfa@berkeley.edu or call us at (510) 642-1412 (during open hours) with as much advance notice as possible. More information on accessibility services.