Annuška

ANNUŠKA starts with memories of bright summer days, which are suddenly interrupted by war and death. Young Annuška faces cruel tests of fate: the deaths of her husband and one of her children, and the loss of her home. Passing all these tests, she returns to build a new home for herself and her children. The State, the Party, the duty of subordination and performance never deprive the protagonists in ANNUŠKA of their individuality, their capacity for suffering and their memories. Minor scenes, gestures and short dialogues show how they defend themselves, break the pathos and create a multi-faceted image of the various options to survive and of preserving their integrity. Depending on the prevailing political situation, State leaders and Stalin himself either appreciated or maltreated Boris Barnet in response to his gently perceptive films portraying common people. He made ANNUŠKA at a time when Soviet cinema enjoyed relative independence, winning recognition also in the West. (Werner Michael Schwarz)