The film was initially presumed to be lost, last screening for members of the Comintern in 1921. It was presumed that only a 12-minute snippet was all that existed. This print was part of a two-year restoration effort by film historian Nikolai Izvolov, who had previously brought Vertov’s 1918 feature, “Anniversary of the Revolution” to screen at IDFA in 2018. The film is almost 100 percent complete except for a scene that contained Joseph Stalin, which is though to be truly lost.
“The History of the Civil War” focuses on he years when the Bolsheviks struggled to defeat domestic opposition to the revolution. The film is praised for its unvarnished look at the death and destruction being waged, with Vertov filming fights in the streets, as well as military tribunals. According to the IDFA website, “Nikolai Izvolov used historical records to reconstruct the original silent film from archive material and commissioned a new soundtrack.” Vertov is considered a groundbreaking director in the world of documentary. His 1929 film “Man With a Movie Camera” looks at urban life in the former Soviet Union and regularly appears on lists of the best documentaries. In 2015 documentarian Errol Morris included it on his list of essential features to watch in the documentary genre. Vertov was known for using what we now see as common techniques in filmmaking, from Dutch angles, freeze frames, extreme close ups, and slow motion. While “Man With a Movie Camera” is available to screen everywhere, it is unclear how available “The History of the Civil War” will be available outside of this festival. The IDFA takes place from November 17-28. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
