The early years of the twenty-first century have been an exciting
transitional period in Russian cinema, as the industry recovered from
the crises of the late 1990s and again stepped onto the global stage.
During these years four generations, from the late Soviet directors
through post-Soviet and New Russian filmmakers to the Russian
millennials, have worked in varying visual styles and with diverse
narrative strategies, while searching for a new cinematic language.
Financing and distribution models have evolved, along with conservative
politics driving Ministry of Culture regulation. This reader is intended
both for contemporary Russian cinema courses and for modern Russian
culture courses that emphasize film. It does not attempt to establish a
canon for the period but seeks to provide undergraduate students with an
introduction to significant Russian films released between 2005 and 2016
that are also available with English subtitles. The twenty-one essays on
individual films provide background information on directors' careers,
detailed analyses of selected films, along with suggested further
readings both in English and Russian.