СТИЛЯГИ / Hipsters

TALK: "The Cultural Dialogue of Rebellion and Conformity in ‘Stilyagi'"

СТИЛЯГИ / Hipsters

2008, 120 minutes

Directed by Valery Todorovsky 

Starring Anton Shagin Oksana Akinshina Maksim Matveyev 

Rating: Suitable for viewers aged 18+ 

Category: Musical / Comedy 

Note: Bright, lively, and full of 1950s style and fun.

Stilyagi (Стиляги / Hipsters) is a 2008 Russian romantic jukebox musical film directed by Valery Todorovsky and starring Anton Shagin and Oksana Akinshina. 

Set in mid-1950s Moscow, the film depicts the Soviet stilyagi subculture, along with their struggle for self-expression within the prevailing reality of the Soviet repression. 

Stilyagi" celebrates the rebellious youth culture of the post-Stalin Soviet Union, specifically the 1950s and 1960s, a time of cultural shifts and Western influence. The film’s colorful portrayal of the "stilyagi" (style hunters) — young people who embraced Western fashion, music, and attitudes — resonated with audiences nostalgic for that era, while also appealing to younger viewers interested in fashion and counterculture

The film is renowned for its striking costumes, energetic dance scenes, and a memorable soundtrack featuring jazz, rock 'n' roll, and swing music. Its vibrant aesthetic and dynamic musical sequences created an immersive experience, making it visually appealing and highly entertaining.

Stilyagi has been featured at the Toronto International Film Festival, Nashville Film Festival, and the Cleveland International Film Festival, where it has been an audience favorite. 

It won the Audience Choice Award at the Anchorage International Film Festival in 2009 and several Golden Eagle Awards and Nika Awards, including Best Film in both. 

In Russia, it has become a cult film, as most of its score consists of covers of 1980s and 1990s Russian rock music from bands such as Bravo, Nautilus Pompilius, Nol and the Red Elvises.

Stilyagi, or in their direct translation, “style hunters”, was a youth counterculture that emerged around the start of the Cold War. The movie itself is set in 1955, two years after the death of Stalin. In a repressed Soviet Union, rebellious youth and Russians feening for jazz and rock found out-of-the-box, innovative ways to score records: bootleggers pressed forbidden music on x-ray films. The films were riddled with skulls and rib cages, the broken human form. They called it music on the ribs or bone music (roentgenizdat).