Happiness

  • November 11, 2017 / 18:00
  • November 22, 2017 / 17:00

Yönetmen: Aleksandr Medvedkin
Cast: Pyotr Zinovyev, Yelena Yegorova, Nikolay Cherkasov
Soviet Union, 1935, 95', b&w, Silent
 

Anarchic in its humor, caustic in its view of peasant life, Happiness defies easy categorization or definition. The painted backdrops inspired by Russian wood prints evoke the atmosphere of a Russian folk tale and give the action a curious theatricality. Medvedkin’s surreal silent comedy tells the story of a peasant named Khmyr and his wife Anna as they try to discover the meaning of happiness. The narrative unfolds over an unrealistic amount of time, taking the couple from pre-Revolutionary days to the time of Stalin and collectivization. Throughout the film, the happiness of the couple is thwarted by a series of absurd and surreal events, including a horse unwilling to do its work, neighbours who steal their entire granary, and Tsarist officers who arrest a suicidal Khmyr, asking him “if the peasant dies, who will feed Russia?” One of the most famous scenes features the arrival of members of the Orthodox Church, including nuns in see-through outfits and a clearly corrupt priest who has arrived to collect taxes from Khmyr and his wife.

The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West in the Land of the Bolsheviks

The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West in the Land of the Bolsheviks

The Tailor From Torzhok

The Tailor From Torzhok

Man with a Movie Camera

Man with a Movie Camera

Earth

Earth

Salt for Svanetia

Salt for Svanetia

Alone

Alone

Happiness

Happiness

Trailer

Happiness

Portrait of Martín Zapater (1797)

Portrait of Martín Zapater (1797)

Martín Zapater y Clavería, born in Zaragoza on November 12th 1747, came from a family of modest merchants and was taken in to live with a well-to-do aunt, Juana Faguás, and her daughter, Joaquina de Alduy. He studied with Goya in the Escuelas Pías school in Zaragoza from 1752 to 1757 and a friendship arose between them which was to last until the death of Zapater in 1803. 

Family and Shared Cultural Histories  <br>Njideka Akunyili Crosby

Family and Shared Cultural Histories
Njideka Akunyili Crosby

Pera Museum, in collaboration with Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), is one of the main venues for this year’s 15th Istanbul Biennial from 16 September to 12 November 2017.

Good News from the Skies

Good News from the Skies

Inspired by the exhibition And Now the Good News, which focusing on the relationship between mass media and art, we prepared horoscope readings based on the chapters of the exhibition. Using the popular astrological language inspired by the effects of the movements of celestial bodies on people, these readings with references to the works in the exhibition make fictional future predictions inspired by the horoscope columns that we read in the newspapers with the desire to receive good news about our day.