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[MEZHRABPOMFILM] Kto ty takoi? [i.e. Who Are You?]

Leningrad: Tea-kino pechat’, 1927. Item #759

Leaflet folded into thirds. 23x15,5 cm. In very good condition.

First and only edition. One of 10 000 copies. Very rare.
Constructivist design of leaflet was produced by Maxim Litvak (1898-1943), the Soviet graphic artist who created the posters of the silent films for Leningrad cinema studio. Two impressive photomontages of this edition include the compositions of the main actors and one of them, printed on the first page, presents two clones of the main character that reflects the plot.
This is a striking libretto brochure on Mezhrabpomfilm's film ‘Who Are You?’ directed by Iuri Zheliabuzhsky. This moving picture was based on Jack London’s story ‘South of the Slot’, presenting the story between two worlds, capitalism and socialism, which ended with the triumph of the last one. In 1920, Zheliabuzhsky had already directed the film on this London’s story, but for this case, the screenplay was compiled by Zheliabuzhsky together with Vadim Shershenevich. Former well-known poet Shershenevich started his contribution to the Soviet cinema and theatre in 1927 and this is one of the earliest pieces of his input. 
The last page features the advertisement of Pudovkin’s film ‘The End of St. Petersburg’ released in 1928.

The only copy located in Columbia University.

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