Letter from Siberia
Lettre de Sibérie
FRANCE / 1958 / French / B&W / 35mm (Original: 16mm) / 62 min
Director: Chris Marker
Photography: Sacha Vierny, Chris Marker
Music: Pierre Barbaud (Original), Georges Delerue (Orchestra)
Narration: Georges Rouquier
Animation: Equipe Arcady
Documents on Siberia: Armand Gatti
Producer: Anatole Dauman
Productions Companies: Argos Films, Procinex
Source: Tamasa Distribution
“I’m writing you this letter from a distant land.” This film begins with these words, establishing a style of narration in the form of exchanged letters that would appear in many of Marker’s films to follow. Letter from Siberia is a multi-layered expression of the cities, land, and atmosphere surrounding the people of a developing Siberia, with intermittent inclusion of animation and archival footage.
The Astronauts
Les astronautes
FRANCE / 1959 / French / Color / 35mm / 14 min
Director: Walerian Borowczyk
Collaboration: Chris Marker
Photography: Daniel Harispe
Music: Andrzej Markowski
Cast: Michel Boschet, Ligia Borowczyk
Production Companies: Argos Films, Les Films Armorial
Source: Tamasa Distribution
A surrealist, experimental animation by Walerian Borowczyk. As the director lacked a French work visa, Marker joined as a collaborator to allow him to finish the film. The film features performance by Ligia Borowczyk, who later appears in La jetée.
Description of a Struggle
Description d’un combat
ISRAEL, FRANCE / 1960 / French / Color / 35mm / 60 min
Director: Chris Marker
Photography: Ghislain Cloquet
Editing: Eva Zora
Music: Lalan
Narration: Jean Vilar
Production Companies: Wim van Leer, SOFAC
Source: Israeli Film Archive / Jersalem Cinematheque
In this film, Marker depicts the complicated reality of Israel twelve years after its founding. However, after the Third Arab-Israeli War, Marker retrieved the film from its distribution company and refused to screen it. Description of a Struggle won the Golden Bear Award in the Short Film category at the 1960 Berlin International Film Festival.