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Day 6 @ MSPIFF: 'Francofonia' Reviewed

Russian auteur Alexander Sokurov, the creator of the 2002 one-take behemoth Russian Ark, has now turned his restless attention to the Louvre. In this freewheeling poetic essay Francofonia, which has far more than one take, the filmmaker explores the relationship between great art and power, especially in the era of Nazi-occupied France.

Although the work is a sprawling meditation on art and culture with multiple asides, the main hook in the film is the story of Louvre director Jacques Jaujard and his nemesis-but-eventual-collaborator Count Franziskus Wolff-Metternich, the officer charged by Hitler with taking the Louvre's treasures back to Germany. Although the Germans sought to safeguard much of French art during the war, Wolff-Metternich did as much as he could to delay the transfer of iconic pieces to his homeland.

This story of an art-loving Nazi -- of all people! -- working to keep French art in France is then contrasted with Hitler's savage and brutal war against the Soviets (and the immense damage done to St. Petersburg's Hermitage museum, where Russian Ark was filmed). Images of children frozen in the streets are deeply haunting, and the feeling of cultural loss expressed by Sokurov is wrenching and unforgettable.

The Nazis, of course, weren't the only ones to destroy or plunder art from those they conquered. Images of the Louvre's intricate and powerful Assyrian friezes suggest the destruction ISIS is inflicting on ancient artifacts today. Meanwhile, Sokurov also shows how the Louvre's history is connected to imperial plunder. A ghost of Napoleon appears to haunt the great museum at night, pointing at treasures of Egyptian art while saying, "This is mine." He then announces: "I went to war for art," suggesting that the collecting of culture is essential for any state that seeks great power status.

While the film does suffer from a bit of meandering self-indulgence and an annoying personification of Marianne, it nevertheless is a moving and provocative take on history, art and the institution of the museum. Sokurov, who isn't afraid to put his thoughts and strange metaphors out there, trusts his audience to follow him where he's going. Attempting to hold on and keep up is thus part of the fun.

Francofonia is playing at the St. Anthony Main Theatre on Tuesday at 5 p.m.

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Other Highlights For Tuesday, April 12

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(credit: Magnolia Pictures)

Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World (Werner Herzog, USA) The prolific filmmaker behind Grizzly Man and Cave of Forgotten Dreams focuses his curiosity on the virtual world, introducing audiences to the obscure creators of soccer-playing robots, the horror stories of video game addicts and the dreams of technology titans like Elon Musk. In the end, his heavy Bavarian accent has us thinking that technology isn't the real problem, humans are. (5:15)

Neon Bull (Gabriel Mascaro, Brazil/Uruguay/Netherlands) A beautifully-shot and deeply human exploration into smalltime Brazilian rodeo and the concept of bodies as things to possess and present. The film follows a makeshift, nomadic family that travels with the show, at the center of the story is Iremar (Juliano Cazarré), a bull handler who dreams of designing women's clothes. (4:50)

How Love Won (Michael McIntee, USA) This locally-made documentary delves into the history of the 2012 campaign to beat the amendment that would have defined marriage in Minnesota as between a man and a woman. The huge win for the "Vote No" push is recounted here, shining a personal light onto how that victory changed lives and cemented Minnesota's reputation as a state that could do the unprecedented. (7:00)

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For the festival schedule, and a complete listing of all the movies being shown, click here. Ticket information is available here.

Throughout the entirety of the 2016 Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival, WCCO.com will be spotlighting one notable movie each day, along with other notable screenings. To see WCCO.com's complete coverage on the MSPIFF, click here.

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