Stillborn Moments in Post-Socialist Slow Cinema

Abstract

This thesis examines a recent strand of international art films collectively referred to as "slow cinema." Even though the majority of the films categorized as such appear on the surface to violently abstract specific historical formations from their content, I would argue that they are nevertheless grounded in a particular historical experience and articulate a distinct perception of the world that cannot be understood merely as a continuation of the modernist cinematic tradition. As such, this paper is intended to map out some of the connection between the slow cinema of the former Eastern bloc and the affective changes brought about by the collapse of the Soviet Union.