"Dovlatov" i "Leto": mifologizacija sovetskogo andegraunda na bol’šom ėkrane

The paper focuses on two Russian biographical films released in 2018, "Dovlatov" directed by Aleksei German Jr and "Leto" by Kirill Serebrennikov: set in the early 1970s and 80s, they explore the feverish underground subcultures (both literary and musical) in the context of Brezhnev’s rigid era of stagnation. The stories are centred on two legendary figures. German’s "Dovlatov" depicts six days in the life of the brilliant writer Sergey Dovlatov in November 1971, when he unsuccessfully tries to get published while working as a journalist. Serebrennikov’s "Leto" chronicles the rise of the cult rock musician Viktor Tsoi, who will later form his band “Kino”; in summer 1981 he meets his mentor Mike Naumenko, a pioneer of Russian rock music and founding leader of the popular band “Zoopark”. The setting of both movies is Leningrad. In contrast to the chilliness of the official world with its claustrophobic atmospheres (crammed editorial offices in Dovlatov, state-controlled rock clubs in Leto), idyllic scenes (set either in communal apartments and studios or during summer parties on the beach) ooze conviviality, cheerful anarchy and creativity of the underground culture. Despite different languages and styles, both "Dovlatov" e "Leto" deal with figures striving for free artistic expression (both in literature and music) in a closed-minded and hostile context. The analysis will explore the setting of these movies, the constant blurring of dream and reality, and the relationship between artist and society. The paper aims to show that both films can be considered a nostalgic ode to the years of Soviet underground: as “kul’t-tovary” they represent a symbol of “commercialization” of the past and offer a mythical recreation of a bygone era of Russian culture.