Hacker Cinema
DAU. Natasha
2021 · Film · 138 min
Part of DAU Cinema
Directed by Jekaterina Oertel, Ilya Khrzhanovsky
Natasha runs the canteen at a secret 1950s Soviet research institute. This is the beating heart of the DAU universe, everyone drops in here: the institute's employees, scientists and visiting foreign guests. Natasha's world is a small one, split between the demands of the canteen during the day and alcohol fuelled nights with her younger colleague Olga, during which the two confide their hopes of romance and for a different future. At a party one evening Natasha becomes close to a visiting French scientist Luc Bige and the two sleep together. The following day her life takes a dramatic turn when she is summoned to an interrogation by the KGB's General Vladimir Azhippo who questions the nature of her relationship with the foreign guest.
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2 comments on Hacker News
I don’t really trust polygon for reviews of art films. Looking at some critic reviews, it seems like Natasha the first film in Dau has had some rave reviews. For instance the guardian gave it 5/5
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/feb/26/dau-natasha-review-russia-ilya-khrzhanovsky
From the "open letter" to the co-directors of the Berlin Film Festival:
https://kkbbd.com/2020/02/29/an-open-letter-to-carlo-chatrian-and-mariette-rissenbeek-from-accredited-russian-members-of-the-berlinale-press/
"We are obligated to reserve our judgment of the project as a whole — but we are within our rights to discuss DAU. Natasha, which is competing as an individual title."
"At the time when Harvey Weinstein is found guilty of sex crimes, in an era marked by the struggle against the culture of violence and abuse in the film industry, does the Berlinale see any ethical issues in screening a film that (by its own authors’ stark admission) contains scenes of real psychological and physical violence against non-professional actors, as well as unsimulated sex between people under the influence of alcohol?
In the festival directors’ opinion, would such a film be possible to exhibit if it were created in the so-called First World — for instance, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, or the U.S. — and used on-screen talent from these countries?"
(emphasis mine: "a film that (by its own authors’ stark admission) contains scenes of real psychological and physical violence against non-professional actors")