OSHER 887 - "From Russia With Love": Experiencing Russia Through Film

In this course, we will explore the universal theme of love through the lens of Russian cinema. We will immerse ourselves in different time periods and will try to envision how love, sex, relationships, friendships, and parenthood have been shaped by the circumstances of life in the Soviet Union and post-Soviet Russia. We will watch a Soviet classic, "Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears" (1980, winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film), the suspenseful masterpiece "Loveless" (2017, winner of the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival), and a selection of other films. All films will be available for independent viewing on YouTube (links will be provided) with English subtitles, and the classes will be a combination of lecture and discussion.