[Videonews] New Release: SONIA - the Russian Artistic Avant-Garde

Ryan Krivoshey (rkrivoshey@cinemaguild.com)
Wed, 7 Nov 2007 13:08:50 -0500

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The Cinema Guild is pleased to announce the release of SONIA, a magical
portrait of Russia's revolutionary artistic avant-garde - Mayakovsky,
Voloshin, Blok, Malevich, Tatlin - brought to life through beautiful and
innovative animated sequences.

"Vibrant and revelatory! A unique window on the Russian art scene during the
early revolutionary day. Kostelanetz successfully captures the promiscuous
intermingling of the personal, artistic and political in Sonia's fully
engaged bohemian lifestyle." - Variety

Sonia

A film by Lucy Kostelanetz

A magical portrait of Russia's revolutionary artistic avant-garde -
Mayakovsky, Voloshin, Blok, Malevich, Tatlin - through the life of Sonia
Dymshitz-Tolstaya, an impassioned artist whose life reflected the social
upheavals of her time.

Known familiarly as Sonia, Sofia Dymshitz-Tolstaya (1886 - 1963) was born
into a wealthy Jewish merchant family in St. Petersburg. Inspired early on
by the promise of the Russian Revolutions of 1905 and 1917, she risked
everything to make a better life for herself and others.

In 1907, she eloped with the young writer Alexei Nicolaevich Tolstoy (a
distant relative of Leo) and was subsequently disowned by her family.
Together, she and Tolstoy began a Bohemian, artistically adventurous life
among what later became known as the Russian Avant-Garde.

By 1915 she had left Tolstoy and two years later met and became intimate
with the Constructivist artist Vladimir Tatlin (architect of the famous
Monument to the Third International). With Tatlin at her side, she became
part of the Revolution's inner circle of writers, artists and composers -
one of the few Jewish women in this collective - who believed they could
transform the entire world into their dream of Utopia.

However, unlike many of her contemporaries, Sonia refused to leave the
Soviet Union. The remainder of her life was spent in Leningrad where she
endured the brutal Purges of the thirties, the Siege of 1942, and the death
of Stalin in 1953.

Sonia's story is brought to life through interviews, journal entries,
memoirs, letters, family photographs, works of art, and rare archival
footage, as well as innovative and beautiful animated sequences - a kind of
photomontage - inspired by Sonia's artwork and by the style that
characterized much of the art of the Russian Avant-garde. A story about
passion, art and idealism, Sonia is a tribute to an extraordinary artist and
a unique moment in history.

Directed by Lucy Kostelanetz

2007, 96 Minutes

Purchase: $295 Rental: $85

* Official Selection, New York Jewish Film Festival, 2007

* Official Selection, Documentary Fortnight, Museum of Modern Art, New York,
2007

* Official Selection, International Festival of Films on Art, Montreal, 2007

* Official Selection, Vancouver International Jewish Film Festival, 2007

* Official Selection, Toronto Jewish Film Festival, 2007

* Official Selection, Milano Doc Festival, "Dal Futurismo Al Futuro", Italy,
2007

* Official Selection, Jewish Eye - World Jewish Film Festival, Israel, 2007

"Engaging and visually inventive!" - Village Voice

"A magnificent documentary! The film doesn't just tell the story of one
artist; it tells the story of a country. I would even say it tells the
history of 20th century as reflected in the life of one individual.. So if
you're interested in 20th-century history, or if you're interested in the
art of film, or . let me put it this way: Every viewer will find his or her
own reason not to miss the screening of this picture. As for myself, I would
just recommend this film to you as one human being to another, as one viewer
to another. Because I personally enjoyed it." - The Russian Forward

"The film makes an unexpected and stunning impression. To do something truly
new in a documentary is a daunting task, but Lucy Kostelanetz, I would say,
has pulled it off.. But just what is it that makes this movie about Sonia so
overwhelmingly involving to watch? A fascinating life story, for one thing,
a life story interwoven with an era that saw the overthrow of the tsar and
the birth of a new, Bolshevik order that would change Russia and the world
forever." - Novoye Russkoye Slovo (New Russian Word)

For more information:

http://cinemaguild.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD
<http://cinemaguild.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=TCGS&Product
_Code=2275> &Store_Code=TCGS&Product_Code=2275

PLEASE NOTE OUR NEW ADDRESS:

Ryan Krivoshey

The Cinema Guild

115 West 30th Street, Ste. 800

New York, NY 10001

Tel: (212) 685-6242

Fax: (212) 685-4717

Web: www.cinemaguild.com

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The Cinema
Guild is pleased to announce the release of SONIA, a magical portrait of
Russia's revolutionary artistic avant-garde - Mayakovsky, Voloshin, =
Blok,
Malevich, Tatlin - brought to life through beautiful and innovative =
animated
sequences. <o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>=

“Vibrant=

and revelatory! A unique window on the Russian art scene during the =
early
revolutionary day… Kostelanetz successfully captures the =
promiscuous
intermingling of the personal, artistic and political in Sonia’s =
fully
engaged bohemian lifestyle.” – Variety =
<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>=

Sonia<o:p><=
/o:p>

A
film by Lucy Kostelanetz<o:p></o:p>

A magical
portrait of Russia’s revolutionary artistic avant-garde –
Mayakovsky, Voloshin, Blok, Malevich, Tatlin – through the life of =
Sonia
Dymshitz-Tolstaya, an impassioned artist whose life reflected the social
upheavals of her time. <o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>=

Known
familiarly as Sonia, Sofia Dymshitz-Tolstaya (1886 – 1963) was =
born into
a wealthy Jewish merchant family in St. Petersburg. Inspired early on by =
the
promise of the Russian Revolutions of 1905 and 1917, she risked =
everything to
make a better life for herself and others. <o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>=

In 1907,
she eloped with the young writer Alexei Nicolaevich Tolstoy (a distant =
relative
of Leo) and was subsequently disowned by her family. Together, she and =
Tolstoy
began a Bohemian, artistically adventurous life among what later became =
known
as the Russian Avant-Garde. <o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>=

By 1915 she
had left Tolstoy and two years later met and became intimate with the
Constructivist artist Vladimir Tatlin (architect of the famous Monument =
to the
Third International). With Tatlin at her side, she became part of the
Revolution’s inner circle of writers, artists and composers =
– one
of the few Jewish women in this collective - who believed they could =
transform
the entire world into their dream of Utopia. <o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>=

However,
unlike many of her contemporaries, Sonia refused to leave the Soviet =
Union. The
remainder of her life was spent in Leningrad where she endured the =
brutal
Purges of the thirties, the Siege of 1942, and the death of Stalin in =
1953. <o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>=

Sonia’s
story is brought to life through interviews, journal entries, memoirs, =
letters,
family photographs, works of art, and rare archival footage, as well as
innovative and beautiful animated sequences – a kind of =
photomontage
– inspired by Sonia’s artwork and by the style that =
characterized
much of the art of the Russian Avant-garde. A story about passion, art =
and
idealism, Sonia is a tribute to an extraordinary artist and a unique =
moment in
history. <o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>=

Directed
by Lucy Kostelanetz<o:p></o:p>

2007, 96
Minutes<o:p></o:p>

Purchase:
$295 Rental: $85<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>=

* Official
Selection, New York Jewish Film Festival, 2007<o:p></o:p>

* Official
Selection, Documentary Fortnight, Museum of Modern Art, New York, =
2007<o:p></o:p>

* Official
Selection, International Festival of Films on Art, Montreal, =
2007<o:p></o:p>

* Official
Selection, Vancouver International Jewish Film Festival, =
2007<o:p></o:p>

* Official
Selection, Toronto Jewish Film Festival, 2007<o:p></o:p>

* Official
Selection, Milano Doc Festival, “Dal Futurismo Al Futuro”, =
Italy,
2007<o:p></o:p>

* Official
Selection, Jewish Eye – World Jewish Film Festival, Israel, =
2007<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>=

“Engaging
and visually inventive!” – Village Voice =
<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>=

“A
magnificent documentary! The film doesn’t just tell the story of =
one
artist; it tells the story of a country. I would even say it tells the =
history
of 20th century as reflected in the life of one individual…. So if
you’re interested in 20th-century history, or if you’re =
interested
in the art of film, or … let me put it this way: Every viewer will =
find
his or her own reason not to miss the screening of this picture. As for =
myself,
I would just recommend this film to you as one human being to another, =
as one
viewer to another. Because I personally enjoyed it.” – =
The
Russian Forward <o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>=

“The
film makes an unexpected and stunning impression. To do something truly =
new in
a documentary is a daunting task, but Lucy Kostelanetz, I would say, has =
pulled
it off…. But just what is it that makes this movie about Sonia so
overwhelmingly involving to watch? A fascinating life story, for one =
thing, a
life story interwoven with an era that saw the overthrow of the tsar and =
the
birth of a new, Bolshevik order that would change Russia and the world =
forever.”
– Novoye Russkoye Slovo (New Russian =
Word)<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

For more information:<o:p></o:p>

<a
href=3D"http://cinemaguild.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=3DPROD&Store_C=
ode=3DTCGS&Product_Code=3D2275">http://cinemaguild.com/mm5/merchant.m=
vc?Screen=3DPROD&Store_Code=3DTCGS&Product_Code=3D2275</a><o:p></=
o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

PLEASE =
NOTE OUR
NEW ADDRESS:<o:p></o:p>

<ns0:PersonName>Ryan
Krivoshey</ns0:PersonName> <o:p></o:p>

The Cinema Guild =
<o:p></o:p>

<ns0:Street><ns0:address>115
West 30th Street, Ste. =
800</ns0:address></ns0:Street><o:p></o:p>

<ns0:place><ns0:City>New York</ns0:City>,
<ns0:State>NY</ns0:State> =
<ns0:PostalCode>10001</ns0:PostalCode></ns0:place><o:p></o:p>

Tel: (212) =
685-6242 <o:p></o:p>

Fax: (212) =
685-4717 <o:p></o:p>

Web: =
www.cinemaguild.com<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

</div>

</body>

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