Film and the Soviet avant garde

Ian Christie discusses the place of film as an art form after the revolution in Russia and the relationship between Soviet filmmakers and other artists of the time. The status of film as an art form rose considerably after the revolution, with Lenin claiming that “of all the arts, for us the cinema is the most important”. However, cinema’s success created bitter divisions among artists seeking support from the generally conservative regime, and encouraged disdain among some of the leading avant-garde artists of the time. Christie is Anniversary Professor of Film and Media History at Birkbeck, University of London and advisor on film in the RA's exhibition 'Revolution: Russia 1917-1932'.