Figner, the End of a Silent Century

The title Figner, The End of a Silent Century is in two parts, with good reason. There is Mr Edgar Figner, the last gerauschmacher of Lenfilm in St Petersburg, who for 30 years -more recently together with his son – has been providing the sound of footsteps, slamming doors and fist fights for films. He is a descendant of a renowned family, full of illustrious opera singers and revolutionary Czar-killers. And there is the past century – a century that started with the silent film and that, certainly in Russia, was a century filled with silent and forgotten human suffering. Fact spills over into nostalgic fantasy and escapist dreams when the Figners’ apartment filled with old effects and memories is sold to a nouveau riche character. During a train journey Figner, who has a suitcase full of things with him, is overcome by the past. His five co-passengers take the form of relatives and of characters from films on which he has worked. Their stories about the century come to life, sprinkled with old film fragments. But reality does not allow itself to be pushed aside for ever. Alonso Casale worked for five years on her film, which is wayward yet in no way complex. On the unique soundtrack, direct and synchronised sound augment each other in a symphony against oblivion. The unusual and evocative fragments from Russian film history give the film a moving depth. (GT)