Russian filmmaker Ilya Khrzhanovsky’s epic cinematic project “DAU” is heading to the Lido after being officially selected for the main competition of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. The feature-length culmination of one of the most ambitious, complex, and controversial art experiments in modern cinema will make its world premiere , competing for the prestigious Golden Lion.
“DAU“
Initially conceived in 2005 as a conventional biographical film about Soviet Nobel Prize–winning theoretical physicist Lev Landau—nicknamed DAU—the project gradually evolved into an expansive immersive world at the intersection of cinema, performance art, and social research.
The core of the production took shape between 2009 and 2011 in Kharkiv, Ukraine, where Khrzhanovsky constructed The Institute, a 12,000-square-meter functional replica of a secret Soviet scientific facility. Rather than operating like a standard film set with scripted scenes and shooting schedules, “The Institute” became a living historical ecosystem. Hundreds of non-professional actors, scientists, service workers, and artists lived on set full-time in period-appropriate attire, using Soviet currency, eating period foods, and adhering to strict Stalinist-era social norms and rules.
Renowned German cinematographer Jürgen Jürges roamed the facility with a small crew to document the unscripted interactions of the inhabitants. Over two years of continuous immersion, the team accumulated more than 700 hours of 35mm footage, capturing daily routines, intimate relationships, state-sanctioned paranoia, and the psychological pressures of life under an authoritarian regime.
While individual feature spin-offs from the project previously generated intense critical debate—such as “DAU. Natasha”, which won the Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution at the 2020 Berlin International Film Festival, and “DAU. Degeneration”—the 210-minute feature film “DAU” assembles footage shot over two decades into a single narrative focusing on Landau’s life across four Soviet decades.
At Venice, “DAU” will contend for the festival’s top honor alongside high-profile international entries, including Werner Herzog’s “Bucking Fastard”, Florian Zeller’s “Bunker”, Casey Affleck’s “Company”, and Danny Boyle’s “Ink”.
From Moscow to Venice
Born in Moscow, Russia, Khrzhanovsky will turn 50 on August 11, 2026. The 83rd Venice International Film Festival will run from September 2-12, 2026 in Venice, Italy.
Despite their contrasting topographies—one a sprawling inland metropolis and the other a floating maritime republic—Moscow and Venice share a deep architectural and historical bond dating back to the late 15th century.
When Grand Prince Ivan III sought to rebuild Moscow as an imperial capital, he turned to the master craftsmen of the Italian Renaissance. Italian and Venetian architects and engineers played a pivotal role in constructing the iconic Moscow Kremlin. Most notable was the Italian master known in Russian records as Aloisio the New (Aleviz Novyy), who designed the Cathedral of the Archangel between 1505 and 1508. He infused traditional Russian Orthodox church design with Venetian Renaissance flair, adorning the facade with distinct scalloped seashell motifs and blind arcades reminiscent of Venetian palazzi. Other Italian masters, like Marco Ruffo and Pietro Antonio Solari, contributed to the Kremlin’s famous red-brick walls and the Palace of Facets.
Beyond architecture, Renaissance Venice served as a vital diplomatic and commercial bridge between Western Europe and Muscovy. Venetian ambassadors published early accounts of Russian life, fostering cross-cultural fascination.
This historic exchange created a unique stylistic fusion in the heart of Russia, proving that Venice’s artistic legacy extends far beyond the canals of the Adriatic into the soul of Moscow.
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