The Commissar: Film and author talk

The Commissar

Russia 1967

Director: Aleksander Askoldov

Filmed in 1966, but kept from release for 20 years, The Commissar is one of the most important and compelling films of the Soviet era. Based on a short story by Vasily Grossman, it tells of a female Red Army commissar who is forced to stay with a Jewish family near the front lines during the 1920s battle between the Red and White Armies as she waits to give birth. The film drew the ire of censors for its frank portrayal of the violence faced by Russian Jews in the wake of the revolution. (110 mins.)

Reed College professor Marat Grinberg, the author of the first book companion to the film, will introduce the film and answer questions following the screening.

Northwest Film Center

Whitsell Auditorium

1219 SW Park Avenue