The Klassiki Podcast

Yuliya Solntseva: the forgotten queen of Soviet film

In this profile, written by critic and curator Rachel Pronger and first published on the Klassiki Journal, we introduce you to one of the most consequential and misunderstood figures in Soviet film history: Yuliya Solntseva. A silent star who became one half of Ukraine’s most influential creative marriage but whose place in history has been obscured for too long.
Klassiki subscribers can watch Solntseva’s iconic performances in Aelita and Earth now. Sign up for a free 7-day trial at klassiki.online.

The fight for the future of Georgian film

Host Sam Goff is joined by two representatives of the so-called “film movement” in Georgia – Keti Machavariani of the Georgian Film Institute, and Keto Kipiani of the Documentary Association of Georgia – to discuss cinema’s place in the ongoing protest movement against the increasing authoritarianism of the country’s government. They explain the situation on the ground for filmmakers and how the film world relates to the wider protest movement fighting for Georgia’s future.
Klassiki subscribers can explore our collection of Georgian titles here. Sign up for a free 7-day trial at klassiki.online.

Springtime for Soviet cinema: the films of the Thaw

In this guide, first published on the Klassiki Journal and written and read by host Sam Goff, we introduce the cinema of the Soviet Thaw. As a new era of cultural freedom swept the USSR after the death of Stalin, iconic directors like Mikhail Kalatozov and Marlen Khutsiev created a new cinematic language defined by sincerity and stylistic innovation.
Read the original piece here and make sure to explore our collections of classic Soviet and cult sixties film. Sign up for a free 7-day trial at klassiki.online.

Żuławski, Parajanov, and me: adventures in Eastern Europe with Dan Bird

Dan Bird is one of the world’s leading specialists on cult cinema from Eastern Europe. His work in restoration and distribution has played a key role in preserving the legacies of iconic filmmakers like Andrzej Żuławski and Sergei Parajanov. He joins host Sam Goff to discuss a career spent traversing Eastern Europe in search of hidden gems.
Klassiki subscribers can watch a cult cinema playlist inspired by Dan’s adventures here. Sign up for a free 7-day trial at klassiki.online.

The humanism and surrealism of the Czech New Wave

In this piece, first published on the Klassiki Journal by critic Sonya Vseliubska and read here by host Oliver Hunt, we introduce the wild world of the Czech New Wave, one of the most influential movements in Central and Eastern European cinema. Blending aesthetic and philosophical innovations from France and Italy, the New Wave gave us legendary figures like Věra Chytilová, František Vláčil, and Miloš Forman.
Read Sonya’s piece here and make sure to explore our collection of Central European film. Sign up for a free 7-day trial at klassiki.online.

Agnieszka Holland on her urgent and politically charged refugee drama Green Border

Legendary Polish director Agnieszka Holland joins host Oliver Hunt to discuss her ripped-from-the-headlines new film, Green Border. Tackling the refugee crisis that unfolded along the Poland-Belarus border in 2021, the film provoked political controversy within Poland, and shows Holland at her humanist best.
Green Border is out in the UK from 21 June. Make sure also to check out Holland’s 2017 eco-thriller Spoor, available now to Klassiki subscribers. Sign up for a free 7-day trial at klassiki.online.

Behind the scenes of the Romanian New Wave with Ada Solomon

Film producer extraordinaire Ada Solomon joins host Sam Goff to take us behind the scenes of Romanian’s troubled but brilliant post-communist cinema. One of Eastern Europe’s most vital producers, Ada outlines the origins of the Romanian New Wave, the movement that rocked Europe in the 2000s. She also gets into her work with Radu Jude and others, and how her career bridges Eastern and Western Europe.
Make sure to check out our interview with Jude in the first episode of the Klassiki Podcast, and explore our collection of New Wave titles here. Sign up for a free 7-day trial at klassiki.online.

From Toronto to Ararat: Atom Egoyan on his career in the Armenian diaspora

Acclaimed Canadian-Armenian filmmaker Atom Egoyan joins host Sam Goff to discuss the role his Armenian heritage has played in his career. From his early features to his historical epic Ararat, Atom discusses how he’s grappled with personal and national history onscreen and the gems of classic Armenian film that have inspired him.
Delve into Atom’s recommendations by exploring our complete collection of Armenian film here. Sign up for a free 7-day trial at klassiki.online.

Ian Christie on Eccentrism, the forgotten mavericks of the Soviet avant-garde

Film historian Ian Christie joins host Sam Goff to discuss his new book on the Factory of the Eccentric Actor: one of the most striking and under-appreciated corners of Soviet avant-garde cinema. Ian talks us through the wild world of 1920s Petrograd, how Eccentrism predicted the French New Wave, and the lessons it still bears for students of Russian culture today.
Buy Ian’s book Eccentrism Turns 100: FEKS and the Early Soviet Avant-Garde here. Read an exclusive extract on our Journal here. Sign up for a free 7-day trial at klassiki.online.

Radu Jude on TikTok and the future of film

Romania’s provocateur in chief Radu Jude joins host Sam Goff to discuss the runaway success of his hilarious new film, Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World. Along the way, Jude explains the the East-West crisis in European politics, his evolving approach to national history, and how TikTok is forcing filmmakers to adapt – or die. 
Watch Jude’s 2018 satire I Do Not Care if We Go Down in History as Barbarians on Klassiki now. Sign up for a free 7-day trial at klassiki.online.