Delo

Irgendwo tief in der russischen Provinz wird Literatur-Professor David angeklagt, staatliche Fördergelder veruntreut zu haben. Bis zur Urteilsverkündung setzt man ihn unter Hausarrest. David, dessen Spezialgebiet Dichter wie Osip Mandelstam und Anna Achmatowa sind, beteuert seine Unschuld und glaubt den wahren Grund der Anklage zu kennen: dass er nämlich den Bürgermeister der Stadt offen der Korruption bezichtigt. Mit wechselnden Besucher*innen – Mutter, Exfrau, Anwältin, Promotionsstudenten, Ermittlungsbeamten und immer wieder auch bedrohlichen Gestalten – erläutert er seine zunehmend prekär werdende Lage. (Barbara Schweizerhof)

The allegations against literature professor David in DELO are methodological in nature. One invariably thinks of cases like that of Kirill Serebrennikov, the directorial colleague of Aleksey German Jr. whom the government wanted to silence in a comparable way. David has caricatured the mayor of his provincial town in a obviously sexual pose with an ostrich, and action is now being taken against him: he is said to have embezzled state funds for a conference. However, in German Jr.’s farce about Russian distortions of the law, the intellectual is neither impressed by thugs nor by the mob in front of his window. David counters these intimidation attempts with intellectual ridicule and a healthy dose of stubbornness.
German Jr., previously known for stylized, multi-layered historical parables like UNDER ELECTRIC CLOUDS, shows a different side of his talent this time: DELO is a chamber piece of intellectual resistance narrated in a surprisingly linear manner that relies on the charismatic subtlety of Georgian actor Merab Ninidze. Almost as important, however, is the setting of the stuffed apartment, furnished with books and devotional items, a place where David’s isolation only grows. Yet it still remains a refuge for a restless spirit that cannot be captured. (Dominik Kamalzadeh)

Aleksey German Jr.: THE LAST TRAIN (2003), GARPASTUM (2005), PAPER SOLDIER (2008), 5000 DAYS AHEAD (2013, K), VENICE 70: FUTURE RELOADED (2013), UNDER ELECTRIC CLOUDS (2015), DOVLATOV (2018)