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Civil Status |
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Original title Grajdanskoe sostoyanie Country of production Russia Year of production 2005 Format 35 mm Length 29 min. Director Alina Rudnitskaya Production St. Petersburg Documentary Film Studio |
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"Since bio-political authorities have access to the
life of the individual, a citizen's status can be read off forms and
documents. Ticking some boxes, entering dates, signing, stamping, and
registration is complete - complete is the human being as a dataset.
Especially most emotional moments in life are very quickly transferred
into tables of figures. Happiness of marriage and love, sadness of death
and mourning. The young Russian woman Alina Rudnitskaya lives up to the
Petersburg studio of documentary film with its long-standing tradition.
Her protagonists resemble the classical look of the 60's so well, that
it seems time has stood still for 40 years. Luckily, the only thing
missing is the off-voice commentary. In high-contrast black and white
and very precise shots unfolds the big and yet small world of the
Citizen Advise Bureau. Psychological torture on both sides (the
visitor's and the employee's) and an emotional spectrum ranging from
phlegmatic calmness and pragmatic placidity to serious desperation and
pure hysteria. People cry and scream, argue and reconcile in front of
the civil servants - and if nothing helps they just fall in love with
them. "What, you want the know the name of the person who is dealing
with your divorce?" Nadja, just like hope in Russian." |
Original language:
Russian |
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Awards Big Stamp Award for the Best Film in International Competition at ZagrebDox 2007 Principle Prize of the International Jury and Special Mention of the Ecumenical Juryat Oberhausen International Short Film Festival 2006 Special Mention at Norwegian Short Film Festival 2006 Jury First Prize at Documentamadrid 2006 Award Onda Curta at Vila do Conde 2006 Festivals Oberhausen International Short Film Festival 2006 Norwegian Short Film Festival 2006 Documentamadrid 2006 Vila do Conde 2006 Message To Man, St. Petersburg 2006 29th Greek Short Film Festival 2006 DOK Leipzig 2006 IFF Rotterdam 2006 |
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![]() Alina Rudnitskaya |
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Deckert Distribution GmbH
• Marienplatz 1 • 04103 Leipzig • Germany |
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