On 24 August 2024, the Lenfilm film studios in Saint Petersburg became the venue for the premiere and discussion of the documentary film Rembrandt. Dedication. Lk 15, 11–32. The film tells about Alexander Sokurov’s exhibition that was inspired by Rembrandt van Rijn’s Return of the Prodigal Son.
Sokurov devoted the display “Lk 15, 11–32” to the Parable of the Prodigal Son, a passage from the Gospel of Saint Luke encoded in the title (chapter 15, verses 11 to 32). The artistic concept was founded upon one of the best-known paintings in the Hermitage. In a multimedia installation the film director presented different aspects of the biblical story, revealing it as a universal subject in world culture.
The display was created for the Russian pavilion at the 58th Venice Biennale. In 2019, Russia was represented at that international exposition of contemporary art for the first time by a museum – the State Hermitage. The entire pavilion was devoted to this “ark of world history and culture”. In the autumn of 2020 a refreshed and expanded version of the display opened for the Russian public in the White Hall of the Hermitage’s General Staff building.
Andrei Krechetov, a graduate of Sokurov’s directing workshop at the Saint Petersburg State University of Film and Television, decided to document the history of this world-ranking project. The maestro provided him with four terabytes of video material, which in a year and a half of work he turned into a 60-minute film. The picture shows not only the life of the exhibition from creation to display, but also conveys the artistic impression of the installation itself.
Following the lead of the exhibition’s creator, Andrei Krechetov summons us to reflect on what lies behind complete forgiveness, is the prodigal son’s repentance so sincere and what will come after his return.
The film was screened as part of the competition programme of documentary cinema at the 5th international Lendoc Film Festival 2024.
