Slavic Films
Browse the lists linked below to find films related to Russia, the Slavic world, and the former Soviet Union in the UCSB Library.
Films in the lists are on DVD and are shelved in the Media Collection, second floor Ocean Side.
- Search UC Library Search for Russian filmsNote that this search will bring up some unrelated films because they have Russian subtitles available.
Soviet Propaganda Films
- Socialism on Film: The Cold War and International PropagandaSocialism on Film is a streaming video collection comprised of 20th century documentaries, newsreels, and feature films created in the communist world and later modified with English language enhancements for distribution to Western audiences.
- Russian Film HubCatalog of Russian-language films hosted on YouTube, Vimeo, and DailyMotion. Allows you to find films by genre or decade, and also indicates for which languages subtitles are available.
In English
- Internet Movie Database (IMDB)Search on either the English title or the transliterated Russian title
Use the links under "Awards & Reviews" (on the left) to find information about the film, including external reviews
Use the links on people's names to find information about the actors, director, etc.
- Film Index International This link opens in a new windowUse the "Film Search" option
Search on the title of your film in English or in transliterated Russian. You may need to try it both ways.
Will usually include information such as:
Director (links to biographical information)
Date, production company, country)
Synopsis
Major cast members (with links to biographical information)
References to articles about the film
Be sure to take advantage of the links on director's and cast members names!
List of awards
List of their other films
References to articles about the director/actor - FIAF International Index to Film Periodicals This link opens in a new window
Contains citations from academic and popular film journals.
In Russian:
- Кино-театр.руSearch on the title of your film in Russian
This is an excellent site to get information in Russian
Be sure to follow links on the names of the actors and directors to find information about their awards and other films
Notice the tab for photographs in the author's entries
For a fun distraction, move your mouse over the banner at the top of the site - RusKinoGreat place to get photos from your film
Also includes information about films and actors - Википедия (Russian Wikipedia)Search on the name of your film in Russian
Also, search on the name of the director and actors
Look at the bottom of the articles for links to sites with more information
Below is a selected list of books related to films and Slavic Studies, including guides to using film for language study. Try searching in UC Library Search to find other sources. Try search terms such as...
- Russia film
- Ukraine film
- Soviet film
Animation Behind the Iron Curtain by Call Number: Art & Architecture, General Collection, NC1766.S65 C69 2020Publication Date: 2020
The BFI Companion to Eastern European and Russian Cinema by Call Number: Main Library PN1993.5.E2 B44 2000Publication Date: 2000
Cinema and Soviet Society by Call Number: Main Library PN1993.5.R9 K39 2001Publication Date: 2000
Cinema for Russian Conversation (2 vol.) by Call Number: Main Library PG2129.E5 K37 2005, v. 1 & 2Publication Date: 2005
A Companion to Russian Cinema by Publication Date: 2016
Contemporary Russian Cinema by Call Number: Main Library PN1993.5.R9 S87 2016Publication Date: 2016
Contested Interpretations of the Past in Polish, Russian, and Ukrainian Film by Call Number: Main Library PN1993.5.R9 C668 2016Publication Date: 2016
The Film Factory: Russian and Soviet Cinema in Documents 1896-1939 by Call Number: Main Library PN1993.5.R9 F47 1988Publication Date: 1988
Film propaganda: Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany by Call Number: PN1995.9.P6 T39 1998Publication Date: 1998
Foward Soviet! by Call Number: Main Library PN1995.9.D6 R5698 1999Publication Date: 1999
Historical Dictionary of Russian and Soviet Cinema by Publication Date: 2009
Insiders and Outsiders in Russian Cinema by Call Number: Main Library PN1993.5.R9 I59 2008Publication Date: 2008
Inside the Film Factory by Call Number: Main Library PN1993.5.R9 I57 1991Publication Date: 1991
Kino by Call Number: Main Library PN1993.5.R9 L47 1983Publication Date: 1983
Kinotalk by Publication Date: 2006
Postcommunist Film - Russia, Eastern Europe and World Culture by Call Number: PN1993.5.R9 P65 2012Publication Date: 2013
Real Images by Call Number: Main Library PN1993.5.R9 W76 2000Publication Date: 2000
Red Women on the Silver Screen by Call Number: Feminist Studies PN1995.9.W6 A78 1993Publication Date: 1993
Russian and Soviet Film Adaptations of Literature, 1900-2001 by Call Number: Main Library PN1997.85 .F437 2004Publication Date: 2005
Russian Cinema by Call Number: Main Library PN1993.5.R9 G48 2003Publication Date: 2002
Russian Critics on the Cinema of Glasnost by Call Number: Main Library PN1993.5.R92 R877 1994Publication Date: 1994
Russia on Reels by Call Number: Main Library PN1993.5.R9 R87 1999Publication Date: 1999
Savage Junctures by Call Number: Main Library PN1998.3.E34 N47 2003Publication Date: 2003
Sound, Speech, Music in Soviet and Post-Soviet Cinema by Call Number: Main Library PN1993.5.R8 S67 2014Publication Date: 2014
Soviet Cinematography, 1918-1991 by Call Number: Main Library PN1993.5.R9 S436 1993Publication Date: 1993
Ukrainian Cinema by Call Number: Main Library PN1993.5.U38 F57 2015Publication Date: 2015
Tip About Film Titles
Do not try taking names of people, films, awards, etc. from English sources and translating them back into Russian. Find sources in Russian that have this information and use that.
If you need to find the Russian title of an English-language film, or the English title of a Russian-language film, it is important to know that film titles do not translate exactly. Try this tip to find the proper version of the film title in the other language:
If it is an English-language film, start in the English-language Wikipedia. Look up the film title in English. Next, look through the "Languages" list (at left in the regular version, at the bottom in the mobile version) until you see "Русский". Click on that link and it will take you to the equivalent article in the Russian version of Wikipedia. The title shown on that page will be the title that was used for the release in Russia.
If you are starting with a Russian film title, start in the Russian Wikipedia. Look up the film in Russian, and then look for the "English" link in the language list.
This also works great for book titles, names of famous people, pop-culture topics, etc.
Russian "Nika" Film Award
