Art Films, an Australian video art company, has just released a DVD with some original images from Meyerhold's Biomechanics, and I thought it was worth sharing them. Before today I had no idea about any film on Meyerhold's Biomechanics, so the first time I saw them I was surprised and in a shock; this is a jewel for anyone interested in theatre history and acting!
What I'm posting now is a promotional video, just extracts. I have no idea if these are all the original images the DVD contains because I have not ordered it yet; but these 2 minutes worth a post in a while:
This is a DVD created by Russian actors prepared in that school, with one of original Meyerhold's disciples. Here what Art Films says about the DVD:
"Meyerhold! A mix of creative genius and human vulnerability. Innumerable, those in agony over his loss, whom, like myself, loved him endlessly. Innumerable moments of excitement for those, who witnessed the creative magic of this one time wizard of the stage." Sergei Eisenstein Is Meyerhold, framed and murdered by Stalin in 1940, the "greatest theater master" (Eisenstein) of our century? Perhaps. He is without a doubt the most puzzling. Biomechanics was the core and culmination point of his theatrical concept. Its traces were disfigured, smeared, and distorted by history and politics. Its traces were searched and researched by many, including Jerzy Grotowski, Peter Brook and The Living Theater.
In the 1990's, after the opening of archives in the former Soviet Union, an original source of Biomechanics became known. Nikolai Kustow, the Biomechanics instructor in Meyerhold's Theater, maintained a "hidden" school and secretly passed on principles and etudes to a new genera-tion of actors.
In this video, Russian actor and pedagogue, Gennadi Bogdanov is shown presenting the most important etudes and principles of Biomechanics. In addition to historical film and photodocumentation of Biomechanics, the video also displays recent scenic work from Europe and the USA developed from the basis of Meyerhold's Biomechanics. In English, 43 mins, colour and black & white."
You might be interested in another film about biomechanics and Meyerhold's theatre which I directed. using an actor and archive footage we recreated some of Meyerholds techniques. The film was shot entirely on Location in Moscow.For more information see www.copernicusfilms.narod.ru or send me an e-mail
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