Ivan’s Childhood (1962)
90 mins|+16, Russian, with Arabic subtitles| Soviet Union
Director: Andrei Tarkovsky
The A.M. Qattan Foundation Invites you to attend the screening of Ivan’s childhood at the Foundation's Building in Al-Tira, Ramallah, at 6:00 p.m.
Andrei Tarkovsky’s debut feature, Ivan’s Childhood poetically explores the effect of war on children. Set in the midst of war-torn Russia during World War II, 12-year-old Ivan is placed in a German prison camp after Nazi invaders destroy his village and kill his family. The boy manages to escape and makes his way back to Russia, finding himself in the care of Captain Kholin, who urges Ivan to consider military school. Instead, Ivan convinces the captain to allow him to return to Germany and act as a spy, in a bid to avenge the death of his family members.
When the film was first released, it was interpreted as a rather straightforward and patriotic ode to the filmmaker’s home country. But with time and in light of Tarkovsky’s oeuvre, Ivan’s Childhood is now understood to be a jarring, deeply metaphysical film – one which provides no tidy conclusions to humanity’s inherent darkness.
This screening is part of the Foundation’s 2019 weekly film programme. organised in collaboration with Cimatheque - Alternative Film Centre in Cairo.
Ivan’s Childhood (1962)
90 mins|+16, Russian, with Arabic subtitles| Soviet Union
Director: Andrei Tarkovsky
The A.M. Qattan Foundation Invites you to attend the screening of Ivan’s childhood at the Foundation's Building in Al-Tira, Ramallah, at 6:00 p.m.
Andrei Tarkovsky’s debut feature, Ivan’s Childhood poetically explores the effect of war on children. Set in the midst of war-torn Russia during World War II, 12-year-old Ivan is placed in a German prison camp after Nazi invaders destroy his village and kill his family. The boy manages to escape and makes his way back to Russia, finding himself in the care of Captain Kholin, who urges Ivan to consider military school. Instead, Ivan convinces the captain to allow him to return to Germany and act as a spy, in a bid to avenge the death of his family members.
When the film was first released, it was interpreted as a rather straightforward and patriotic ode to the filmmaker’s home country. But with time and in light of Tarkovsky’s oeuvre, Ivan’s Childhood is now understood to be a jarring, deeply metaphysical film – one which provides no tidy conclusions to humanity’s inherent darkness.
This screening is part of the Foundation’s 2019 weekly film programme. organised in collaboration with Cimatheque - Alternative Film Centre in Cairo.