Anatoly Naiman

A Film about Anna Akhmatova is not a biopic. Rather, it is a live process of recreating a story akin to ancient tragedy. Before the viewer's eyes it emerges from archival and modern footage, unique sound recordings of Akhmatova's voice, her poems and photographs, and the many paintings and portraits of her, with the commentary of the poet Anatoly Naiman, who knew Akhmatova in her last years.

At his dacha in Peredelkino, children's author Korney Chukovsky showcases a handwritten album containing myriad autographs from famous and not-so-famous Soviet writers, artists, theater figures, and other celebrities.