Description
Under Stalin’s rule, composer Dmitri Shostakovich lived with the constant threat of denunciation, imprisonment and death. Tony Palmer’s extraordinary Testimony, starring Ben Kingsley, explores the life of an artist navigating fear, censorship and survival.
Inspired by Solomon Volkov’s controversial book, presented as Shostakovich’s memoirs, the film interweaves stark black-and-white drama with the composer’s powerful music.
Following this special screening, acclaimed director Tony Palmer, whose films include portraits of Leonard Cohen, Benjamin Britten and Maria Callas, discusses making Testimony, its disputed source material, and Shostakovich’s enduring legacy.
Screening from a 35mm print
Runtime: 157 minutes
Related Book
About the Speaker
Tony Palmer
Tony Palmer is an internationally acclaimed director of films about performers. He has won over forty international prizes for his work, including and especially television’s most coveted award, the Prix d’Italia; indeed, he is the only person to have won this prize three times, and has been honoured by the Italia Prize with a gala screening of his work.
About the Chair
Phillip Bergson
Phillip Bergson is a film critic, broadcaster, lecturer and script analyst with decades of experience across international cinema. A respected voice in the film industry, he has worked extensively as a script assessor, casting consultant and festival programmer, as well as coordinating international film premieres, festival campaigns and publicity for feature films, documentaries and shorts across the UK, Europe, the Balkans, North America, Japan and the Middle East.
Phillip has also specialised in the adaptation and refinement of English subtitles for international films, helping bring world cinema to English-speaking audiences. Alongside his work as a critic and journalist, he has served on numerous international festival juries and has long championed emerging filmmakers and global cinema through his writing and festival collaborations.
Recognised by the British Film Institute as a voter for the prestigious Sight and Sound Greatest Films of All Time poll, Phillip is celebrated for his breadth of knowledge and lifelong commitment to international film culture. He continues to write on cinema and festivals around the world, bringing a unique perspective shaped by decades at the heart of the global film community.
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