Ivan Kozlenko Lectures on Ukrainian Film Expressionism and the Proletarian Body in the 1930s

Ivan Kozlenko, a film scholar, curator, and cultural manager, will present a lecture on the expressionism of Ukrainian cinema in the 1930s, emphasizing the proletarian body in its quest for socialist realism. This period, often overlooked, saw Ukrainian cinema caught between avant-garde innovation and the emergence of socialist realism. Key topics include the loss of cultural independence, the disbandment of VUFKU, the introduction of sound, the Holodomor, and a significant cultural shift. Despite facing political oppression and a mandated socialist realist direction, filmmakers developed a unique national style that blended avant-garde influences with local artistic traditions. Kozlenko, who directs the Nimi Nochi festival and previously led the Oleksandr Dovzhenko National Centre, has curated international retrospectives and co-authored works on Ukrainian cinema. The lecture is part of The History of Cinema in Ukraine series, organized by Daria Badior and Sofia Doroshenko, with free admission upon prior registration.