Unknown Evgeny Bauer ASEEES 2026 Screening

This special screening brings together two newly discovered films by the canonical pre-revolutionary film director 𝗘𝘃𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘆 𝗕𝗮𝘂𝗲𝗿, with 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗞𝗼𝘃𝗮𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗮 (University of Pittsburgh) and 𝗬𝘂𝗿𝗶 𝗧𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗮𝗻 (University of Chicago) providing scholarly context and discussion.
The program features the salon melodrama 𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘣𝘺𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴 (1915) and the sensational melodrama 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘩𝘱𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘪𝘴 “𝘑𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴” 𝘎𝘢𝘯𝘨 (1915). 𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘣𝘺𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴 has recently been identified at the Šiaulių „Aušros“ muziejus in Lithuania and restored at the George Eastman Museum, while 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘩𝘱𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘪𝘴 “𝘑𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴” 𝘎𝘢𝘯𝘨 has been discovered at the Cineteca di Bologna.
Together, these films illuminate Bauer's remarkable range as a filmmaker. While 𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘣𝘺𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴 exemplifies his celebrated “high style” salon melodrama, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘩𝘱𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘪𝘴 “𝘑𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴” 𝘎𝘢𝘯𝘨 is an important example of Bauer's work in sensational melodrama—a genre central to popular cinema of the Russian Empire and essential to understanding his versatility as a director beyond the refined interiors and psychological dramas for which he is best known.
Considering the long-standing cult of Bauer among historians of early cinema and his reputation for a highly stylized, “decorative” visual aesthetic, this restoration represents a major event in the field. Notably, 𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘣𝘺𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴 appears to be the only surviving Bauer film that preserves original tinting, offering rare insight into the visual strategies of pre-revolutionary Russian cinema and underscoring the importance of contemporary archival discovery and restoration.