A letter to Dmitry Medvedev concerning Naum Kleiman

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To Prime-Minister of Russian Government,
Dmitry Medvedev

Russian and Soviet films have been amongst the greatest artworks of the last century. We filmmakers and movie lovers around the world – in Europe, America, Asia and elsewhere – have been enriched by them. We watch the films by Sergei Eisenstein and many others and, in doing so, discover particular and unique ways in which this art form can be.

We, of course, cannot be custodians of this heritage, these treasures. We rely on the great Russian film historians to be keepers of the flame of these films, to help us understand why they are priceless.

Those of us who have met Naum Kleiman know that he is the first amongst these scholars. For decades now, he has protected and, brilliantly, presented, the achievements of Eisenstein, Boris Barnet and many other filmmakers. Kleiman and his team at the Moscow Cinema Museum have shown, for a generation now, judgement, generosity and scholarship which is world class, and from which every archive and cinematheque can learn.

We are, therefore, deeply concerned to hear that Kleiman and his staff have been dismissed from the role of keepers of the flame. We do not know all the political complexities of what has happened, but we would like to protest, in the strongest possible terms, against the ill-advised changes in the leadership of film policy in Russia.

Just like in 1968, when filmmakers as diverse as Orson Welles and Carl Theodor Dreyer, wrote to the French government, decrying the dismissal of Henri Langlois, we want to say: this Cinema Museum isn’t only yours, it’s ours too. And we trust Kleiman and his team. They have proved themselves and we can learn from them. Respect their knowledge and integrity, realise how wise you will be to cherish and rely upon it for the sake of the humane business of founding the culture of the future on the profound and incalculably precious roots of the past – and please reverse your decisions.

We call on other filmmakers around the world to endorse or sign this statement, in solidarity and cinephile friendship.

Mark Cousins
Tilda Swinton
Thierry Fremaux