Slavic Film Series
Written by Graceanne Warburton
Professor of German Dr. Stephan Neumann and Theatre and Speech Professor Dr. James Brandon recently launched Hillsdale’s first Slavic film series.
The films will be both Russian and Polish, and will have a distinct thematic focus on the Cold War era. Dr. Naumann and Dr. Brandon hope that the series will peak interest in Slavic culture on campus, and they hope to share their knowledge about a part of the world which is somewhat underrepresented. Dr. Naumann said that the series is “an opportunity to give the wider campus community a chance to view and discuss some films that it wouldn’t normally be exposed to,” and Dr. Brandon believes that movies in particular provide the perfect medium for this cultural diffusion: “The way in which a film maker frames and tells a story can have particular cultural distinctions,” says Dr. Brandon, “It’s a great way to learn about different cultures.”
The series is a chance to broaden the horizons of the campus at large, but the professors are also just looking forward to watching a few good movies: “Honestly,” said Dr. Brandon, “I think that if nobody showed up to these films, Dr. Naumann and I would still sit and watch them happily by ourselves.”
Dr. Naumann and Dr. Brandon have grounds to be excited. Both men have vested and distinct interests in Slavic culture – Dr. Naumann is fluent in Polish, Dr. Brandon has taught several seminars on Russian film in the past, and both men have traveled Eastern Europe extensively. While their interests in Poland and Russia have many notable distinctions, the professors found common ground in the field of modern film. While Poland and Russia diverge in many areas, they have much in common when it comes to modern film and artistic expression in general. As Dr. Naumann explained, “because of the Cold War and the period of censorship which characterized that time, Slavic filmmakers haven’t had the chance to express themselves, but now these countries have their freedom of speech back.” Slavic filmmakers, both Russian and Polish, have been heavily influenced by recent history. Both suffered censorship throughout much of the post-war period, and both gained a new and unprecedented artistic freedom since the end of the Cold War. This history is new, it’s young, and it’s happening right now,” Dr. Naumann said.
Time can only tell where this new found liberty is headed, but Dr. Brandon believes that Slavic film is about more than pure entertainment, “what Slavic film makers are doing more than anything,” Dr. Brandon said, “is coming to terms with the past.” In other words, Eastern Europe has a lot of historical baggage, and before its filmmakers even think about moving forward with their genre, they need to recognize what they have left behind. Needless to say, this puts the filmmakers of Eastern Europe in a challenging position. Nevertheless, Dr. Brandon thinks that post-Cold War artists will do whatever it takes to reconcile their heritage. Slavic films take risks. They push limits, test boundaries, and make compromises that cannot be found in the plot-driven films of Hollywood. “Slavic actors are not afraid to look ugly on the screen,” said Dr. Brandon, “they’re willing to make compromises. You never really know what’s going to happen next.”
Hillsdale College needs no lecture on the importance of cultural heritage, but Chargers may be surprised with how closely tied American history is to that of Eastern Europe. “There was a lot of contact between the Founding Fathers and some thinkers in Europe,” said Dr. Naumann, “Poland is credited with drafting the first constitution in Europe in 1791. Sadly, things worked out much differently for Poland, as they lost their freedom in the partitions a few years later. Even so, they consider not only their past, but also their present and future to be closely aligned to ours.” In this sense, learning about Slavic culture is not just interesting in its own right – it is also a surefire means of illuminating one’s own heritage.
That said, neither Dr. Naumann nor Dr. Brandon expect students to arrive in note-taking mode. Brandon hopes only “that students come with an open mind,” prepared to engage with the films of a culture that he and his colleague find to be fascinating, elucidating, and of considerable moment to the past, present, and future alike.
Graceanne Warburton is a freshman at Hillsdale College majoring in History, with plans to minor in either German or Journalism. She participated in forensics and theatre during her first semester, and is looking forward to picking up volunteer work at the Humane Society in the spring. She is a member of the Hillsdale College Honors Program.