Page "Chris Marker" Paragraph 8

After working on the commentary for Resnais ' film Le mystère de l ' atelier quinze in 1957, Marker continued to form his own cinematic style with the feature documentary Letter from Siberia.

An essay on the gradual destruction of Siberia's culture and individuality, the film combines footage that Marker shot in Siberia, old newsreel footage, cartoons, stills and, at one point, an illustration of Alfred E. Neuman from Mad Magazine, all accompanied by Marker's signature commentary, which takes the form of a letter from the director to his audience.

In one sequence, Marker repeats the same collection of shots three times with different commentary: the first one praising the Soviet Union, the second denouncing it, and the third taking an objective stance.