Joseph Brodsky: Epitaph for a Centaur, Six Years Later

Film Screening & Discussion Co-sponsored by Poetry in America and COJECO Admission: Free Registration is required. Register

Join YIVO, Poetry in America, and COJECO for a panel discussion and screening of a short film examining the life of Joseph Brodsky, the celebrated Russian-Jewish American writer and Nobel Laureate. The panel will include Poetry in America Director and Host Elisa New, YIVO Executive Director Jonathan Brent, literary executor of the Joseph Brodsky estate Ann Kjellberg, and founding director of the Russian American Cultural Center Regina Khidekel.

Through analyses of two of Brodsky's evocative poems, “Epitaph for a Centaur” and “Six Years Later,” this 25-minute film encapsulates Brodsky's exploration of identity, belonging, and the passage of time. The film examines the paradoxical relationship between the U.S. and Russia during the Cold War, intricately portrayed through the symbolic figure of the centaur—a representation of Brodsky’s own multi-faceted existence as Russian, American, and Jewish. By delving into the intricate language of Brodsky’s poetry, this short film explores Brodsky’s Jewish identity, his legacy, and the political undertones of his writing.

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.