Truth, Tradition, and the Female Gaze: Anna Brenner’s The Karamazovs

After sixteen years in avant-garde theater, director Anna Brenner makes a hauntingly intimate leap to the screen with The Karamazovs, a bold reimagining of Dostoevsky’s classic The Brothers Karamazov. The film, now streaming on major VOD platforms, explores family, faith, and forgiveness through a contemporary female lens—and arrives in the wake of a canceled Off Broadway run in early 2020.

“The pandemic!” Brenner explains of her shift to filmmaking. “The play we made was rather cinematic… so it felt like an exciting way to move into filmmaking by continuing to adapt this project.”

That original stage adaptation, shuttered days before press reviews by The New York Times and The New Yorker, became the blueprint for a quiet transformation: from live theater to a moody, wintry film set on Martha’s Vineyard.

From Stage to Set

Brenner’s background in experimental theater shaped her film instincts.

“I did a lot of prep with my DP and editor and felt very supported… They all looked at me encouragingly and were like, ‘Anna, you know how to do this.’”

That deep trust carried over to the cast—retained from the stage version—who brought years of rehearsal and relationship to their roles.

Hidden truths emerge

“The actors helped me create these characters from the beginning… there was a lot of trust on set for them to explore the story in this new form.”

The Karamazovs—Aly, Viv, and Dmitri—are caught in the aftermath of their father Fyodor’s sudden death, confronting grief, estrangement, and long-suppressed truths. Each character’s journey is steeped in the tension between spiritual yearning and earthly reckoning.

“Everyone—in their own way—is asking the eternal question: ‘How should I live?’”

A New Lens on a Classic Tale

Brenner was drawn to Dostoevsky’s epic not just for its plot, but for its resonance.

“I loved the novel, obsessively… I just kept seeing parallels everywhere to the questions and issues at play in my life and the world.”

Filming on location became its own metaphor.

Uncover what lies beneath

“The weather there at that time of year was very extreme and volatile. Just like the internal emotional worlds of our characters.”

Working in nature was a stark shift from black box spaces:

“Even when it was freezing outside, it all felt like an adventure… I actually found the process energizing.”

Challenging Structures, Rebuilding Stories

The film critiques secrecy and social convention, refusing easy moral binaries.

“It can become dangerous when we bury things for too long… Some ‘traditions’ need to die.”

Collaborator Rafael Jordan helped evolve the adaptation for the screen.

Reveal new perspectives

“Rafael came in and helped me reshape the script… Working together was a really fast and natural process.”

Avant-garde influences like Laurie Anderson, and institutions like Soho Rep and PS122, echo throughout the film’s pacing and tone.

“They wanted to ask their questions… and push the limits of what was possible with very tight resources.”

Building a Cinematic Language

Working with cinematographer Tatyana Stolpovskaya, Brenner shaped a visual language grounded in emotional truth.

“We knew we wanted the camera to feel like it was a part of the scene… allowing the image to evoke something about their internal world.”

Composer Jordan McCree’s score was similarly intimate.

Hear what’s unseen

“The music also guided the tone and emotional trajectory… In some moments it needed to feel playful and funny, in others, haunting or emotional.”

The Personal Becomes Creative

Brenner’s family life now directly informs her artistic output.

“Now I have endless material and inspiration right in front of me… I’ve just had to look at things in a new way.”

Her creative roots go back to Michigan.

Endless loops uncovered

“I’ve basically been doing the same thing since I was 13.”

A New Chapter

The Karamazovs has been met with warm festival reception and a growing fanbase.

“It’s given me some confidence… I’ve gotten to make something that was meaningful to me with collaborators I love.”

But sharing such a personal work isn’t without nerves.

Beyond fears await

“It’s also nerve racking and makes me vulnerable to the risk of creative expression and the fear of not being understood.”

Next up? More film, but theater isn’t off the table.

“I love the immediacy of theater… but with film I feel like I have new tools for storytelling that I’m excited about.”

Watch the trailer: https://vimeo.com/1078379449 Stream the film: Available now on major VOD platforms More on the film: www.thekaramazovs.com Director’s site: www.annabrenner.com Instagram: @the.karamazovs IMDB: The Karamazovs (2024)