The great Russian filmmaker, Sergei Eisenstein (1898-1948), had a deep interest in Britain and British culture throughout his career.  In 1929 he visited England, where he was thrilled to hear debates at the House of Commons, dine at High Table at Trinity College, Cambridge, and meet with artistic celebrities. From his youthful forays into theater, when Eisenstein designed productions of Macbeth and Heartbreak House, until his last great masterpiece, Ivan the Terrible, his work continually reflects on British politics and culture.

Joan Neuberger is the author or editor of eight books, including, most recently, This Thing of Darkness: Eisenstein’s Ivan the Terrible in Stalin’s Russia, to be published by Cornell University Press in 2019. She is the editor of the award-winning public history website, Not Even Past and co-founder, with Christopher Rose, of the popular podcast, 15 Minute History.