Name: Screening and Discussion: "The Term"
Start: 2025-04-07T18:00:00-04:00
End: 2025-04-07T20:30:00-04:00
Location: Heyman Center for the Humanities

Final event in "The New Russian Documentary: Reclaiming Reality in the Age of Authoritarianism" with a Q&A with director Pavel Kostomarov.
About this Event

If you are a Columbia/Barnard affiliate with campus access, please use your Columbia/Barnard email when registering.

Each attendee must have their OWN registration and email address.

Registration for external guests closes at 4PM on April 4. Registration will automatically close at that time. Columbia/Barnard affiliates with access to campus may register at the door.

The Term (2014)

The Term (2014) documents the late stages of the largest civil uprising in the history of modern Russia, which unfolded in 2011-2012. Following the protests that took place after Putin’s re-election in March of 2012, the team of filmmakers put together by Alexandr Rastorguev, Pavel Kostomarov, and journalist Alexei Pivovarov, provides a multi-faceted and dynamic yet intimate portrayal of the Russian political opposition during this unprecedented moment of social upheaval.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Pavel Kostomarov, which will be conducted by film critic Anna Nieman.

Watch the trailer.

Speakers

Pavel Kostomarov is an award-winning cameraman and film director. He graduated from VGIK, Russia’s oldest state film school, with a degree in cinematography in 2002, and enjoyed a successful career as a cameraman before switching to making his own films. Many of his documentary films were shot in collaboration with Aleksandr Rastorguev, including Tender’s Heat. Wild, Wild Beach (2006); I Love You (2011); The Term (2014). Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Kostomarov left Russia and now resides abroad.

Anna Nieman holds a degree in Film Studies from VGIK (State Institute of Cinematography), Moscow. She is a film critic, independent scholar, and content developer. Her interests span the late Soviet and post-Soviet narrative and documentary cinema with a particular focus on the representation of the disenfranchised and lower social strata characters. Anna founded and produced The Garage project (2009-2011) on mubi.com, which served as a curated international VOD platform for emerging and independent filmmakers. While working with Mubi Garage, Anna curated a collection of works by contemporary Russian documentary filmmakers: Kostomarov, Rastorguev, filmmakers of Albatross Studio, and others. Anna’s articles, reviews, and essays have been published in Art of Film (Iskusstvo kino), Film Studies Journal (Kinovedcheskie zapiski), mubi.com , kultpro.ru, kinokultura.com.

This film screening is presented as part of The New Russian Documentary, which is inspired by the collected volume of the same title. The series presents a curated selection of essential films that challenge the status quo and offer rare insights into contemporary Russia. The full festival description and program can be found .

To request disability accommodations. Advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility needs. This event will be recorded. By being present, you consent to the SOF/Heyman using such video for promotional purposes.