A documentary film about the WWII blockade of Leningrad has its premiere in Rome tonight.

"Dmitry Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony: A Cinemaphony" is a synthetic endeavor, with the documentary accompanying the renowned music.

The project gathered well known musicians, historians and filmmakers-suffice it to name Tonino Guerra, who was side-by-side with the world cinema's leading figures. In particular, he wrote the plays for Federico Fellini's "Amarcord" and Pietro Germi's "Divorce, Italian Style". Now, he is among "Cinemaphony" authors and consulting experts.

Russia's Georgy Paradzhanov, director and chief montage man, made a choice of archive strips from the 1920s into the 50s to go together with the music.

Dmitry Shostakovich wrote his superb symphony in the starving besieged city, to apply the final brushstrokes after he evacuated to Kuibyshev on the Volga river. The Seventh was first played in Leningrad at the height of the blockade - August 9, 1942.

"Cinemaphony" was first shown in Russia, January 27. Naturally, the first night was in St. Petersburg, timed to the 61st anniversary of the end of the siege. The symphony had a brilliant rendition by the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Society symphony orchestra, Maxim Shostakovich, the composer's son, conducting

News source: www.en.rian.ru
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