Senegal and USSR / 1966 / 50mins / Documentary, Archival Footage / Russian

At the First World Festival of African Art, delegates from 37 counties of the world met. The festival, taking place in the open air rather than in theater halls, created a merry and friendly atmosphere that laid the foundation of new way for people to converge.

Irina Venzher

Irina Venzher was a Soviet film director, born May 1903 in Yalta. Her documentary, Youth of Our Country, won two awards at Cannes in 1946. She co-directed African Rhythmus /Ritmy Afriki (1966), about the First World Festival of Negro Arts, with Leonid Makhnatch. Venzher attended school at the Yalta Gymnasium and later at the Simferopol Theater. She later moved to Moscow and worked with the Central Studio for Documentary Film, the largest Soviet newsreel and documentary cinematography studio, and directed front-line film essays, newsreels and documentaries including some of the first Soviet color widescreen documentaries. Venzher passed away in November 1973. Learn More

Leonid Makhnatch

Leonid Makhnatch was a Soviet film director. He co-directed African Rhythmus /Ritmy Afriki (1966), about the First World Festival of Negro Arts, with Irina Venzher. Learn More