Experiencing Interruptions?

Nathan Farb and the Cold War

The photographer who fooled the KGB, exhibited portraits at MOMA, stopped photographing people, and became a brilliant master of landscape.
The seminal exhibition "Photography in the USA," which brought Nathan Farb to Siberia for the first time in 1977, served as a powerful harbinger of the waning Cold War era; it not only marked Nathan's first photobook success, but also secured his rightful place in MOMA's and Getty's photography collections.
Following Nathan as he embarks on another expedition, short before Russia attacked the Ukraine, to rediscover the protagonists of '77 and capture their essence anew, the film captures a poignant snapshot of a Russian society on the brink of war.
At the same time, the photographer's own personality materializes in the film - a captivating portrayal etched through his encounters amidst the bustling milieu of New York or the freezing backdrop of Novosibirsk, and against the nature's grandeur of the Adirondack Mountains.
"It is not only a document of the times between the East and the West, but also a cinematic masterpiece." Stefan Müller / PHOTONEWS, April, 2024

  • Nathaniel Knop
    Director
  • Nathaniel Knop
    Writer
  • Sonia Knop
    Producer
  • Nathaniel Knop
    Key Cast
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Nathan Farb und der Kalte Krieg
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    Portrait, Roadmovie, Political Thriller
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 51 minutes 36 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 1, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    125,000 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Germany
  • Country of Filming:
    Russian Federation, United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital 4K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2,39
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Lichter Filmfest Frankfurt International
    Frankfurt Am Main
    Germany
    April 20, 2024
    Germany (Production Country) Premiere
    Official Selection
  • 41. Kassel Documentary Film and Video Festival
    Kassel
    Germany
    November 13, 2024
  • 23. Lake Placid Film Festival
    Lake Placid
    United States
    November 9, 2024
    North American Premiere
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Nathaniel Knop

Born '68 into a Jewish-Chinese family in Chernivtsi, Ukraine. Studied psychiatry. Postgraduate studies in film direction. Assistant director to A. Kaidanovsky and K. Zanussi. Came to Berlin as a Nipkow Scholar (European scholarship for professionals in audiovisual media) and founded his film production company KINOBRIGADA in 1999. Lives in Frankfurt am Main with his wife and 5 children.
2023 The Cinema we are. 82' (Hessen Film Prize, 2023)
2019 The Watson's Hotel (Audience Award, Lichter IFF, 2019)
2016 The Storyteller. After Walter Benjamin 62' (Winner, On Art IFF, 2017; Best Documentary 12IFF, 2019)

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Director Statement

I attempt to carefully immerse the viewer in an enchanting exploration of an artist's life. As the focus shifts between the external subjects and the photographer himself, the layers of Nathan Farb's being are gradually peeled away, revealing the profound impact of his interactions with people and nature. Influences from other photographers, such as Diane Arbus, Berenice Abbott, and August Sander, become apparent, enriching Farb's perspective.
Blurring conventional documentary genres, from road movie to portrait to political thriller (considering the war Putin's Russia will launch short after the photo shoot in Siberia), the film project defies categorization.