Earth depicts peasants clashing over the first tractor in a Ukrainian village, and it is still debated as either Stalinist propaganda or a secret ode to folk culture on the edge of erasure. This showing adds live music, including the bandura, a Ukrainian string instrument played by Julian Kytasty. If you have never seen a silent film with a live band, start with this one.
What to expect
An 84-minute 35mm projection in Metrograph's Lower East Side theater, with the two musicians performing live in the room as the silent images unfold. The venue has a bar and restaurant upstairs, so it is easy to arrive early for a drink and stay to talk it over.
Good to know
- Metrograph is at 7 Ludlow St; the F train to East Broadway is a short walk.
- Members save on tickets and get presale access.
- Silent film with intertitles; the music is performed live.
- Arsenal, another Dovzhenko silent with live accompaniment, screens the next day.
- Metrograph's upstairs restaurant makes an easy pre-show stop.
Going? Keep it.
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Common questions
Who is playing the live music?
Fima Chupakhin on piano and synths and Julian Kytasty on bandura and vocals, according to Metrograph.
Is this on film?
Yes, a 35mm print courtesy of the Filmoteka Narodowa in Warsaw.
