Aleksandr Sokurov is back with a new feature, Director’s Diary, a sweeping five-hour cinematic journey merging historical memory, spiritual introspection and experimental narration. Set to premiere out of competition at the upcoming Venice Film Festival (27 August - 9 September) and completed in recent months, the film marks a new chapter in Sokurov’s career and a major collaboration between Russia and Italy.

Entirely penned and directed by Sokurov himself, Director’s Diary is described as “a historical panorama spanning several hours, yet extremely dynamic and captivating.” Pen and camera blend seamlessly to form a dense flow of visual and semantic imagery (what the filmmaker defines as “a spiritual biography”), inviting inner reflection through a rich tapestry of faces and stories that collectively form an impressionistic portrait of the world seen from Russia.

“The images are readable, like a book, whose pages are recognizable, sometimes unexpected, but always symbolic and emotionally evocative,” reads the official synopsis. “An immense country, its inhabitants and its guests, understood both as a mass and as individuals, are seen by the author through himself... Painful to watch, perhaps, but pain here becomes a purifying force.”

The film was shot primarily in Saint Petersburg and filmed entirely in Russian. Its Italian co-producers played a pivotal role in post-production, with a team of specialised technicians working in Ancona over the course of seven months.

The main technical team includes long-time collaborator Aleksandr Zolotukhin as cinematographer, editor and sound designer, Juri Cerusico as co-editor, and VFX compositor, and composer Andrej Sigle.

Director’s Diary is a self-produced project with no institutional or public funding attached. The production is a joint effort between Russia and Italy, led by Paolo Maria Spina for Revolver and Giuseppe Lepore for Bielle Re, both based in Rome, alongside Alena Shumakova and Sokurov himself in Saint Petersburg.

“This collaboration began after a long and pleasant encounter with Sokurov in Cinecittà, Rome, in June 2024,” recalls Spina. “Today, a year later, here we are, together in Venice with our first joint effort. What began as a professional partnership has evolved into a true friendship—one that will bring future projects to life between Italy and Russia, with Sokurov and my long-time partner Giuseppe Lepore.”

Spina also credits Alena Shumakova, a seasoned festival programmer and personal advisor to the director, for facilitating the partnership and overseeing much of the Italian post-production. “Without her involvement, this collaboration would have never happened,” he states.

Sokurov himself offers a characteristically laconic reflection on the finished work: “What can I add to the monologue of my film, which will speak to you for five hours...? Watch it patiently, with a kind heart, with attention... This story also concerns your homeland, your country and your people. One word only: the Old World does not change.”

Born in 1951 in Podorvikha, in Russia’s Irkutsk region, Sokurov studied history at the University of Gorky before graduating in film direction from the VGIK. His rich and idiosyncratic body of work includes celebrated titles such as Mother and Son (1997), Russian Ark [+lire aussi :
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Director’s Diary is slated for an autumn/winter 2025 release. The international sales agent is yet to be announced.