Cinema in evacuation: Administration, competition, and production in the Kazakh SSR during the wartime period

This article examines the organizational and administrative functioning of the Soviet film industry during the Great Patriotic War evacuation. Focusing on the relocation of film studios to the Kazakh SSR, it explores how local authorities influenced film production. The study draws on archival materials, some of which have never been published before, from Kazakhstan’s Presidential Archive and Central State Archive. The analysis highlights principal challenges faced by filmmakers: resource shortages, harsh living conditions, and administrative pressure. It investigates the dynamic between evacuated studios and authorities, both republican and union, their competition for resources, and the impact of evacuation on developing Kazakh national cinema. Offering fresh perspectives on wartime Soviet cinema, the article reveals the intricate interplay of political, economic, and cultural factors of the time.