Esfir Shub: Pioneer of Documentary Filmmaking

Esfir Shub was the only prominent female director of nonfiction film present at the dawning of the Soviet film industry. She was, in fact, the first woman both to write critical texts on cinema and then practically apply these theorisations in her own films. As such, her syncretism of cinema theory and praxis inspired her to ask questions regarding both the nature of nonfiction film, such as the problem of authenticity and reality, and the function of the artist in society; issues which are still relevant in contemporary discussions about the documentary. Accordingly, this book demonstrates Shub's position not only as a significant filmmaker and recognised member of the early Soviet avant-garde but also as a key figure in global cinema history. Shub deserves recognition both as the founder and ardent promoter of the compilation film genre and as a pioneer of the theory and practice of documentary filmmaking.

Table of Contents:
Preface Introduction 1. Shub and the Art of Montage: Soviet Style 2. Esfir Shub and the Constructivist Avant-Garde 3. The Fall of the Romanov Dynasty: Shub's Constructivist Paradigm for Nonfiction Film 4. The Fall of the Romanov Dynasty: The Theory, the Politics, and the History 5. Only Newreels: Esfir Shub's Great Way 6. Shub's Final Silent Documentary: Today 7. K.Sh.E. - Shub's Conversion to Sound 8. Shub's Spain: The End of the Line Conclusion Filmography Bibliography Index

About the Author :
Ilana Shub Sharp is an independent scholar living in Australia with a background in film and fine arts. She was awarded a PhD from the Faculty of Media, Society and Culture at Curtin University, Western Australia.

Review :
A welcome overview of the major themes and tactics of Shub's documentary practice, and of her reception in the West ... Sharp's description of the many moments when Shub lingers on female subjects allows the reader to imagine what her unrealised script for a film to be called Women might have looked like. The first book-length study about this extraordinarily important and surprisingly understudied figure of early Soviet cinema ... rooted in a remarkable pool of secondary and primary sources This fascinating and comprehensive study is the first book devoted to the career of a truly remarkable woman who pioneered the compilation documentary, contributed significantly to the Soviet avant-garde in its “golden age,” and left behind an unmatched oeuvre of political documentaries. It will be the standard work on Shub and her films for years to come. At last, we have the scholarly monograph Esfir Shub so richly deserves. Sharp has done her subject proud. Ilana Shub Sharp's book is a work of painstaking research and thoughtful scholarship that illuminates the life and career of Esfir Shub. More than that, it is a labour of love and, above all, a heartfelt plea for a proper appreciation not only of Shub's ground-breaking films but also of her vision, at once exhilarating and forlorn, of cinema's social mission.