Moisei Kalik Movies

Reviewers considered this film to be more of a collection of raw material for a more tightly crafted film than a film in itself. It consists of footage shot by the Russian dissident (now an Israeli citizen) Moisei Kalik before 1971, when he left Russia, as well as more recent material. It combines autobiographical material with commentary on Russian history and clips covering the evolution of Russian cinema. The autobiographical material starts by showing a rebellious boy who is eventually exiled to one of the gulags. When he is freed, he enters a state-run cinematography school. There again, his rebelliousness and insistence on speaking the truth get him into trouble. The director's own story is broken up with newreel footage, clips from his films, and clips from Russian classics. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

In this children's fantasy-adventure, a five-year old Russian boy decides to follow the sun around the earth. He then begins rolling a hoop about the city. He takes his time and frequently pauses to stop and see the world through shards of colored glass. Soon he comes to a maternity hospital where he sees a woman giving birth. He goes on to meet many different characters ranging from a legless shoeshine man who loves soccer, to a pretty young gardener who shows the boy how a sunflower will turn its head to follow the sun. The boy is impressed and delighted until a park worker heartlessly mows the lovely flower down. Angered at the wicked act, the boy confronts the caretaker. Later, the boy shares food with some kindly workers, sees a funeral, and encounters a truck driver. He then begins watching gymnasts working out and falls asleep beside a stone lion; the boy begins to dream that the park attendant is burying the sunflower during a funeral--as soon as he finishes, the man becomes a mannequin. Suddenly the shoeshine man appears walking; he takes the boy to a lovely street where they meet the sun. When the boy awakens, a military musician takes him home. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi