Sergej in the Urn
(102 min; 2009; with English subtitles)
Director: Boris Hars-Tschachotin

The film will be introduced by Prof. Mahalakshmi Rakesh

Charismatic, erratic, egocentric, almost forgotten…Sergej Tschachotin was scientist of international repute, friend of Pavlov and Einstein, revolutionary and pacifist. Sergej in the Urn tells the story of Sergej Tschachotin’s epic existence - from 1883 to 1973 - through the memories of four of his sons. Speaking openly for the first time, they tell of Tschachotin’s role as a cancer researcher, his participation in anti-totalitarian propaganda movements, and his crusade against the arms race. But each son also exposes his conflicted relationship with a colossal fatherly shadow.

Filmmaker Boris Hars-Tschachotin, Sergej’s great-grandson, weaves together an intimate, tortured family saga that mirrors the myriad contradictions and possibilities of the 20th century.