Screening Dates: Thursday, November 27, 8:00 p.m. / Thursday, January 15, 8:00 p.m.

Director: Sergei Eisenstein
Screenplay: Sergei Eisenstein, Grigoriy Aleksandrov, John Reed
Cast: Nikolay Popov, Vasili Nikandrov, Layaschenko, Vladimir Antonov-Ovseenko

Soviet Union / 1928 / Silent / 95 min. / Black and White / Russian Intertitles / Turkish Subtitles 

Sergei Eisenstein’s October, made for the tenth anniversary of the October Revolution, is one of the most striking propaganda films in Soviet cinema history. The film does not merely reenact a historical event; it becomes a cinematic manifesto that visualizes ideology through the language of montage. Images such as the movement of soldiers, workers, and crowds, the destruction of statues, or the opening of bridges convey the awakening of a nation in all its intensity.

“Intellectual montage” theorized by Eisenstein reaches its peak in this film; the juxtaposition of images aims to create an intellectual impact rather than merely a narrative sequence. The film’s rhythm progresses like the tempo of an enthusiastic march; it strives to make the audience feel the spirit of the revolution beyond simply watching a visual record of it. What continues to affect viewers today is not only the passionate political ideology in the film, but also the immense power of cinema to stimulate thought.

* Demirhan Baylan will accompany the film with his music.

** We thank Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi for his contributions to the program.