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96 mins 
Russian
Spring on Zarechnaya Street
Весна на Заречной улице
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Programme Note
The feature debut of beloved auteur Marlen Khutsiev, Spring on Zarechnaya Street signalled a sea change in Soviet cinema on its release in 1956. Charting the romance between a prim teacher and a happy-go-lucky factory worker in provincial Ukraine, Khutsiev and co-director Feliks Mironer capture the sincerity and optimism of the post-Stalinist ‘50s. Shot through with Khutsiev’s trademark lyricism and warm humanism, the film was a huge hit and remains a landmark of its era.
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Alistair Pitts
A Charming Romantic Comedy from Soviet Ukraine
By plot beats & archetypal characters, this bears an unexpected resemblance to an 80s or 90s Hollywood romcom!
The gorgeous black and white cinematography foreshadows Mikhail Kalatozov’s The Cranes are Flying as well as Khutsiev’s own film, I Am Twenty.
It doesn’t pack the same emotional punch as either of those two films, but it’s nevertheless well worth your time.
The gorgeous black and white cinematography foreshadows Mikhail Kalatozov’s The Cranes are Flying as well as Khutsiev’s own film, I Am Twenty.
It doesn’t pack the same emotional punch as either of those two films, but it’s nevertheless well worth your time.
