Mother

There is a silent film festival going on in Tromsø right now, and tonight I was able to catch a really unique screening of "Mother (Мать)", a 1926 film by Russian director Vsevolod Pudovkin. It was very moving. Apparently, Pudovkin was a tremendously influential figure not just in Russian cinema, but in cinema in general, and he is credited with creating several editing techniques which are still widely used - particularly his use of montage. The festival is actually a little bit like New College's Cinema Sounds; different experimental musicians collaborate and juxtapose largely improvised electronic scores with the silent films. Steed and His Larson were not present however.

Don't watch the clip below if you plan on watching the film, as this is the (very) dramatic conclusion. Unfortunately, the experience isn't quite the same because of the different musical accompaniment, but I think it's worth watching, especially if you are a fan of 1920's revolutionary Soviet propaganda.