As this series powerfully shows, there is much to celebrate in the careers of Shepitko and Klimov. Those films they were able to make are testaments to their uncompromising artistry. Shepitko excelled at focusing on individuals or small groups of characters and studying them intensely; Klimov was a master at creating broad frescoes that would shape and define the contours of his characters. They were both unwilling to opt in their films for easy answers or pat ideological positions. Life, in the Klimov and Shepitko films, is never tidy, and one should never be surprised at what human beings are capable of doing — for better and for worse.

In November, 2000, the Film Society and Seagull Films presented “Revolution in the Revolution: Soviet Cinema of the 60s,” a series that revealed the tremendous creative ferment in Soviet cinema of that era, a time when various “new waves” were sweeping across world cinema. “Farewell: A Tribute to Elem Klimov and Larisa Shepitko,” returns to that era by focusing on two of the brightest lights of a generation that also included Andrei Tarkovsky, Andrei Konchalovsky and Kira Muratova. A special feature of this series will be a chance to see the complete version of Klimov’s remarkable Agonia, an amazing film about the notorious Rasputin that was shown in heavily cut versions here when first released.