Beginning of an Unknown Era

Two young directors adapted the short stories of two Russian authors whose works had been banned for decades, and so their film ended up in the censor’s vault as well – for twenty years. Both tales look back to the post-revolutionary era: 'Angel' (Olesha) speaks tragically of the brutality and destruction of the time, and 'The Homeland of Electricity' (Platonov) captures its haunting grotesquery.

Directed by Andrey Smirnov, Larisa Shepitko, Beginning of an Unknown Era leans on a strong ensemble — Leonid Kulagin, Sergei Volf, Nikolai Gubenko — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about war titles of 1967.