Manipulation, propaganda and indoctrination in a Russian summer camp. Dutch “embedded artist” and filmmaker Daya Cahen joins us in person for a screening of her film Nashi, followed by a Q&A about how, in 2007, she infiltrated a summer camp of the radical youth movement Nashi (“Ours”), affiliated with Vladimir Putin.
Genre: short documentary (2008)
Language: Russian, subtitles: English
Length: 27 mins (excl. Q&A)
In Nashi, a group of young recruits speak in an eerily homogeneous way about their desire to become great patriots and make Russia the world leader of the 21st century. Almost twenty years later, viewed in the light of Russia’s war in Ukraine, the film can be seen as remarkably prescient, exposing a system of youth indoctrination that has since become impossible to ignore.
At this summer camp, 10,000 Russian boys and girls were being prepared for their “heroic” future. For two weeks, they lived in lockdown while red banners and loudspeakers hanging from the tents in the woods told them what their future should look like. They were presented as “the chosen ones of Russia”: the country’s future managers, politicians and military leaders. The movement’s ambition was to make Russia “the global leader of the 21st century”. Its manifesto taught participants that they should be willing to sacrifice their lives for their country.
Q&A with film maker Daya Cahen
Following the screening, artist and film maker Daya Cahen will join us for a conversation about the making of Nashi: how she gained access to this closed environment, what it meant to work from within, and how the film relates to her ongoing exploration of the power of mass media and its use in propaganda, indoctrination and manipulation.
About the artist
Daya Cahen (NL/USA) studied photography at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam. Working primarily with photography and video, she investigates forms of political influence and the systematic manipulation of human behaviour. Her work has been exhibited internationally, including at the Moscow Museum of Modern Art, the Dutch Photo Museum, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art Denmark, Centre Pompidou, and film festivals such as IDFA, Berlinale of IFFR.
Ticket information
This film will be shown at Filmhuis De Zwarte Doos. Students, PhD’s and EngD’s can visit for free, others pay €5,-.
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Please be on time
The screening of the film begins promptly at 19:30 (with no pre-film advertisements), and the cinema hall will open at 19:10. We kindly request that you arrive at the ticket counter at least 10 minutes before the start of the film to ensure a smooth and timely experience for all.
SG & ITEC registration for bachelor’s students
Please register for SG & ITEC by scanning your student ID at the venue. More information about SG & ITEC can be found here.