The three extraordinary documentaries by Czech filmmaker Jana Sevcikova compiled on this disc—Piemule, Jakub, and Old Believers—were made during the last decade of Communist rule, but they're impressionistic rather than narrative, replete with haunting images (of strangely beautiful landscapes and stark, often weather-beaten faces) obviously shot and edited for poetic effect. All focus on remote areas of Eastern Europe and the people who have been displaced from their homelands by war, hatred, and persecution. Piemule looks at a small community of Czechs eking out a living in a mountainous area of Romania during the Ceausescu years, incongruously mixing their deep religious faith with devotion to the leader some refer to as “master.” Jakub combines film of Ruthenian immigrants still living deep in the Romanian countryside with footage of others who left to settle in the Sudetenland after World War II (the title's name comes from a dead soldier who neighbors struggle to recall and describe). Old Believers is a startlingly evocative portrait of the descendants of Russians who fled religious persecution in the 17th century and took up residence in the Danubian territory of the old Ottoman Empire (watching them practicing their ancient rituals and explaining their faith is literally like stepping back in history). Sevcikova's approach eschews conventional narration, relying instead on carefully-edited remarks from her subjects, sequences illustrating communal activities, and atmospheric shots of locales and livestock. The result is a series of dreamlike pieces that are almost hypnotic in their effect and quite unforgettable. The sole DVD extra is a Q&A session in which the director participated at the 2002 Telluride Film Festival along with Werner Herzog (the sound is poor, but happily the accompanying booklet includes a transcript, as well as Sevcikova's reflections on her three films). Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
Old Believers
(2001) 154 min. In Czech w/English subtitles. DVD: $29.95. Facets Video. Color cover. ISBN: 1-5658-0487-2. Volume 21, Issue 1
Old Believers
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