Welcome, or No Trespassing (1964)
(Dobro pozhalovat, ili Postoronnim vkhod vospreshchion, Elem Klimov, Soviet Union 1964, 74 min., 35mm, Russian w/English subtitles)
Curator’s Choice – The films of Elem Klimov Even a mini retrospective of Elem Klimov (1933 – 2003) can demonstrate the phenomenal versatility of this provocative filmmaker. Taken at face value, his feature-length debut, Welcome, or No Trespassing, is a delightful children’s comedy, and, as such, remains one of the most beloved films in the former USSR. At the same time, it was a bitter and merciless satire on totalitarian regime, where a highly bureaucratized summer camp serves as an allegory for Soviet society. It is often considered the first openly anti-Soviet film to come out of the Soviet Union.
Post-screening discussion with Senior Curator Peter Bagrov.