About the Film and Our Story

I am Christian Borovik, a newly inspired film producer and senior at Boston University, majoring in Political Philosophy. 

Last year I received a $6000 grant from the Boston University Department of Philosophy to make a full-length documentary film about Russian philosophy. Being a Russian native and speaker helped immensely during the pre-production process.

Over some three months, my operator and I traveled to five cities in Russia and interviewed 20 prominent Russian thinkers and philosophers. The film examines the crucial aspects of Russian political philosophy and attempts to explain the current postmodern vortex of perplexities within Russian society. Will the Russian intellectual elite be able to resolve its internal disputes or will it simply borrow the existing superstructure of the competing hegemonies?

Currently, production for the documentary is complete, but the film still needs a great deal of post-production work.

Project Thesis:

This documentary is an interview-based film that depicts the most crucial aspects of Russian philosophy, currently in post-production. Special attention is given to postmodernist thought, as well as its relationship to today’s socio-political atmosphere, through the developmental trends of the history of philosophy in Russia.

Film Structure:

20 prominent Russian philosophers/sociologists/political thinkers give answers to pressing dilemmas. 

Part I examines the major historical figures and events in the history of Russian philosophy:

• Vladimir Solovyov, Berdyaev and the era of Russian philosophical Renaissance
• Westerners and Slavophiles—the deepest schism within Russian culture, philosophy, society
• Impact of Immanuel Kant on Russian thinkers (shot in Kaliningrad)
• Literature-centrism of Russian thought
• The impact of Christian Orthodox teachings on Russian philosophers

Part II examines philosophical trends during the Soviet regime and the underground philosophical societies:

• "The Philosophical Steamer" or the expulsion of Russian intellectual elite from the USSR
• Dogmatism, ideology, thought repression, madness
• Y. Mamleev's "Circle" and the Moscow intellectual underground

Part III examines the current trends of philosophy in Russia and addresses pressing social-political problems:

• Harsh, brutal Neo-liberalism or the unspoken motto of Russian politicians
• Eternal recurrence of ideology and its pressure on philosophers
• Philosophical "Super-novae" of the 90-s and the bombardment of information
• Current schools of philosophy and generation of ideas

Budget

The majority of the money raised will go toward post-production expenses. These include:

• Sound mixing
• Editing
  • Animation
    • Visual effects
  • Coloring
• Music
• Distribution
  • Festival fees

The remaining sum of money will go towards the following expenses:

• Catering
• Travel reimbursements

Making a feature-length documentary is expensive, and any filmmaker understands how costs continue to pile on well into post-production. While a rough cut of the film exists, it requires extensive editing to bring our vision to fruition. 

THE CAST:

1)

Andrey Tesla: PHD, Professor of Philosophy, Baltic Federal University, Kaliningrad 

2)

Andrey Poselskiy: A Russian PHD student of Political Philosophy at St. Andrews University, Scotland, UK.

3) Galina Streltsova: Doctorial PHD Philosophy, Professor of Philosophy at Moscow State University (MSU), Moscow Russia

4) Greg Udin: Sociologist, Philosopher, Professor of Sociology and Political Science, Higher School of Economics, Moscow Russia

5)Konstantin Krylov: Russian philosopher, writer, publicist, public and political figure

6) Aleksandr Vikhrov: Journalist, Professor of Public Communications, Higher School of Economics

7)

Valeriy Inushin: member of the "Ushinskiy" Philosophy Circle

8) Timofey Reshetov: member of the "Ushinskiy" Philosophy Circle, former secretary of Y. Mamleev

9) Aleksey Kozyrev: Assistant professor of philosophy, at Moscow State University (MSU), Moscow Russia

10) Aleksey Malinov: Professor of History of Russian Philosophy, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia

11) Nikolai Gerasimov: Ph.D. in Philosophy, leading researcher at the Solzhenitsyn House of Russian Abroad

12) Vladas Povilaytis: Doctorial PHD, Professor of Philosophy, Baltic Federal University, Kaliningrad 

13) Petr Kalitin: Doctor of Philosophy, Professor of the Department of Philosophy, Moscow State Regional University

14) Vladimir Vasyukov: Doctor of Philosophy Head of the Department of History and Philosophy of Science, Institute of Philosophy, (Russian Academy of Sciences)