A Siberian History of Soviet Film: Manufacturing Visions of the Indigenous Peoples of the North

In A Siberian History of Soviet Film, Caroline Damiens explores how the depictions of the indigenous ‘Peoples of the North’ in Soviet cinema and television evolved between 1920 and 1980. Damiens combines a detailed analysis of key works such as Forest People (1928), Igdenbu (1930), Dersu Uzala (1961 & 1975), Tymancha’s Friend (1969) and The Most Beautiful Ships (1972), with primary sources like press articles, archives, and interviews, to reveal how these cinematic portrayals were created and negotiated, providing insight into the concepts of progress and authenticity in the Soviet context. She emphasises the role of indigenous individuals in shaping their cinematic image, both in front of and behind the camera, highlighting the works of lesser-known figures like Suntsai Geonka, Zinaida Pikunova, and Iurii Rytkheu. In doing so, Damiens emphasises the multifaceted nature of film, where interpretations differ based on the perspectives of those involved. Using a decolonial approach and drawing from extensive archival materials, Damiens prompts a re-evaluation of the Soviet cinematic past and present by centring indigenous voices in the narrative. In doing so, she provides a thorough exploration of the intricate relationship between culture, representation, and identity in Soviet cinema.

Caroline Damiens

Associate Professor in Film Studies, University of Paris Nanterre

She authored the monograph Fabriquer la Sibérie soviétique à l’écran: Une histoire filmique des peuples autochtones du Nord (2023). She edited the volume Ciné-expéditions: Une zone de contact cinématographique (2022) and co-edited (with Csaba Mészáros) the KinoKultura special issue on Sakha (Yakutia) cinema (2022). Her current work looks at itinerant cinema in Soviet Siberia and in rural France in the mid-twentieth century.