FILM | Finding Babel, with director David Novack

Description

Finding Babel chronicles a grandson’s search for the legacy of the greatest prose writer of Russian Jewry, whose subversive works led to his untimely and tragic end. Best known for his short-story collections Odessa Stories and Red Cavalry, the daring masterpieces of Isaac Babel challenged the ideology of the early Soviet Union and resulted in his arrest and execution in 1940. On the 75th anniversary of Isaac Babel's execution, Finding Babel follows Andrei Malaev-Babel, his grandson, on a journey to come closer to some sense of truth. Hoping to better understand Babel's powerful artistic method and elusive persona, Andrei journeys through Ukraine, France, and Russia – locations deeply tied to the story of his grandfather. He confronts lingering traces of a turbulent history that echo in Babel’s writing and in the conflicts and climate of today’s Ukraine and Russia. Featuring the voice of Liev Schreiber as Isaac Babel. Closing night reception from 6:30-7:00 PM. Q&A with director David Novack.