The History of Time from Vitebsk to Nowadays
For millions of ordinary Russians, a century of Communism and War has left an indelible mark on their day-to-day lives. This film is a touching document of a life punctuated by hardship, loss and prejudice. Forced from Vitebsk by the Germans during the second world war, Orliyevsky draws vivid pictures from his memory and talks of his disruption and suffering. Through these anecdotes the heroism of everyday living is brilliantly revealed.
'When a clock starts ticking, then my heart beats properly. If the clock stops then my heart stops'.
His profession as a clockmaker - a caretaker of time - sustains him through the bump and grind of a still uncertain life. Recently his wife of forty years died. Soon his brother-in-law followed. His family and relatives were either buried alive or shot by the Germans during the war. 'My whole life's been like that...I'm a bit of a hero to still be here all alone'. First subscripted into fighting for his country, then coerced into the Communist party, this is the fragmented portrait of a man swept along by history. 'There were no ifs or buts or not todays - unless you wanted a bullet in the head'. Yet, as a Jew in Russia, he has suffered both through the titanic events of history and the petty prejudices of other men. 'Jews are to blame for everything. Whatever you care to mention, it's all the Jews'. An intimate film of an ordinary man's continuing ordeal, this is a history of changing times and testament to an ordinary life lived in extraordinary times.
FULL SYNOPSIS
His profession as a clockmaker - a caretaker of time - sustains him through the bump and grind of a still uncertain life. Recently his wife of forty years died. Soon his brother-in-law followed. His family and relatives were either buried alive or shot by the Germans during the war. 'My whole life's been like that...I'm a bit of a hero to still be here all alone'. First subscripted into fighting for his country, then coerced into the Communist party, this is the fragmented portrait of a man swept along by history. 'There were no ifs or buts or not todays - unless you wanted a bullet in the head'. Yet, as a Jew in Russia, he has suffered both through the titanic events of history and the petty prejudices of other men. 'Jews are to blame for everything. Whatever you care to mention, it's all the Jews'. An intimate film of an ordinary man's continuing ordeal, this is a history of changing times and testament to an ordinary life lived in extraordinary times.