Aélita

The film Aelita, directed by Yakov Protazanov, can be seen as an example of the transdisciplinary and multimedial inclination of the Russian avant-garde. Aelita is one of the earliest science fiction movies and has been cited as an influence for Fritz Lang in the making of his legendary film Metropolis (1927). In Aelita the Russians land on Mars, the Red Planet where workers are exploited and confined, to spread the socialist revolution. The costume design was created by Aleksandra Ekster as a natural extension of her Constructivist experiments for theatre and art. Ekster’s dresses for the Martians define the actions of the actors in order to create a total costume capable of giving shape and life to the characters.