MUSES OF MONTPARNASSE. A SERIES OF VIDEO INTERVIEWS

A new video project by the Pushkin Museum features Russian actresses sharing the stories of destiny, creative work and love on behalf of the female characters of the «Muses of Montparnasse» Exhibition.

Legendary women of Montparnasse – who are they? Impressive women of that time became symbols of success in the field they chose, went through dramatic relationships with their beloved like Camille Claudel or Jeanne Hebuterne, or fought for their identity like Dora Maar, or stood for prideful independence. Who established the woman’s role in various fields of art in 1900s–1940s? The cycle comprises seven video clips featuring theatre and movie actresses dedicated to female sculptors and artists such as Camille Claudel, Jeanne Hebuterne, Dora Maar, Kiki, Jacqueline Marval, Sonia Delaunay and Maria Vasilieva. The project features Lyubov Tolkalina, Yana Gladkikh, Polina Vitorgan, Miriam Sekhon, Stasya Venkova, Alisa Dmitrieva, and Yulia Aug. Directed by Andrei Silvestrov.
Each episode of the project unveils personalities of the female artists represented at the «Muses of Montparnasse» Exhibition. Thus, actress Lyubov Tolkalina told about the life of Camille Claudel, her relationships with the eminent sculptor Auguste Rodin and her difficult journey to independence. The tale of a recognized Montparnasse Queen, artist Kiki, whose image had been captured by almost all masters of the Paris school, was shared by actress Yana Gladkikh. All episodes of the project are accompanied with the translation into the Russian sign language by actress Maria Rumyantseva. The goal of the project was to unveil the personalities of female artists presented at the «Muses of Montparnasse» Exhibition. The educational and entertainment functions of the project were ensured by its format – a series of short video clips 4 to 6 minutes long. Participation of famous Russian actresses helped draw attention of a wide audience to the project.