A Russian Youth: World Premiere at Berlinale

A RUSSIAN YOUTH by Alexander Zolotukhin

WORLD PREMIERE    |    BERLINALE FORUM 

The film tells the story of a simple village boy who goes to the front of the First World War with a naive youthful dream of acquiring fame and medals. In the first battle he loses his sight. He is left to serve as a listener — he must listen carefully through huge metal funnels and raise an alarm when enemy airplanes are approaching.



The film features music by Sergei Rachmaninoff, who created the Piano Concerto No.3 (Op. 30) in 1909. With the power and energy of this piece, the composer predicted the incoming upheavals of the 20th century. Three decades later, at the beginning of the Second World War, Rachmaninoff creates Symphonic dances (Op. 45), an even more grand and vigorous work. After which he no longer created anything...