Director Sokurov Alexander Nikolaevich: biography, personal life, filmography

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Sokurov Alexander Nikolaevich - Soviet and Russian film director, actor and screenwriter, Honored Artist, People's Artist of Russia. He is deep, whole, and incredibly gifted. His brilliant works have been recognized in many countries of the world, however, in the homeland, the films of the master often do not immediately reach the target audience. A complex, often incomprehensible, but no less talented person. Today is our story about him.

Childhood

The biography of the film director begins in June 1951. The boy was born in the Irkutsk region. The father of Alexander Nikolaevich was a military man, and the man was constantly sent to different parts of the country. Alexander Sokurov remembers these episodes from his life well. The family often moved from place to place. Little Sasha spent his childhood on the road - he had to constantly change schools, leave friends, meet new people. Life threw him from one side to the other. To schoolAlexander Nikolayevich went to Poland, but he completed his basic education in Turkmenistan.

By the way, the place where Alexander Sokurov was born, the village of Podorvikha, was flooded in 1956 during the start-up of the Irkutsk hydroelectric power station.

After school, Alexander Nikolayevich Sokurov entered the Faculty of History of Gorky State University. Already during his studies, the young man showed incredible zeal and interest in everything related to television, tried to independently develop in this area. He released several television films, worked on the preparation of live programs on Gorky television. In 1974, Alexander Nikolayevich graduated from the university and received a diploma in history.

Institute of Cinematography

A year later, Alexander Nikolaevich Sokurov entered VGIK at the directing department. The future cinema guru got into the workshop of A. M. Zguridi, where students were taught documentary directing, techniques for shooting popular science films. Studying was easy for Sokurov, he plunged headlong into the creative process. For successful studies, the young man received a scholarship named after Eisenstein. However, not everything was smooth and cloudless. Relations between Sokurov and representatives of the administration of the institute, as well as the leaders of the State Film Agency, were aggravated day by day. Alexander Nikolayevich was labeled an anti-Soviet, accused of formalism, his student works were not recognized or accepted. Due to the constant confrontation, it was easier and more correct for Sokurov to finishtraining, having passed all the exams ahead of schedule, which, in fact, he did in 1979.

By the way, the first picture of the novice director - "The Lonely Voice of a Man", based on Andrei Platonov, - which was exhibited as a graduation work, was not credited by the commission of the institute. All materials were supposed to be destroyed, but the picture miraculously survived - Sokurov and his friend simply stole it from the archive. Later, the film was awarded prestigious awards at international film festivals.

First creative steps

Even in his student years, director Sokurov met screenwriter Yuri Arabov, who became his like-minded person in his work and life companion. Another person in Sokurov's life who appreciated his first directorial work and subsequent works was director Tarkovsky.

Alexander Nikolayevich shot his first feature films at the Lenfilm studio, where in 1980 he got on the recommendation of Andrei Tarkovsky. At the same time, the director worked on documentary films - he collaborated with the Leningrad Documentary Film Studio. In general, Sokurov really liked Mosfilm, and under other circumstances he would very much like to work there. However, the working conditions of the Moscow film studio did not suit the director at all.

It must be said that Sokurov's debut films caused dissatisfaction with the authorities, and they were destined to lie on the shelf for a long period of time - the movie was not released for rent. Sokurov realized that he was objectionable to the political elite, realized that he was threatened by physicalreprisal, but did not leave the country, although there were opportunities. “I always remembered that I was Russian,” says Alexander Sokurov. Nationality is belonging to a certain nation, nationality, it is the language, ritual and faith of the fathers. For the hero of our story, the Motherland is Russia.

Filmography

The films that Sokurov shoots are not simple, they have a hidden meaning, which can often be read between the lines, and not the first time. They make you think intently and continuously and see what you sometimes don't want to see. Filmed sometimes in the format of a documentary, sometimes in the form of a parable, they always teach the interested person something. This is not an entertaining movie for relaxing with popcorn and soda - "Conversations with Solzhenitsyn", "Reading the Blockade Book", "Father and Son", "Mother and Son" push you to think about serious things.

Alexander Sokurov is a director who has eighteen feature films, more than thirty documentaries, dubbing, work as a screenwriter. In addition, the maestro has acting experience in his piggy bank. In 1980, Alexander Nikolaevich starred in the film "You Must Live" by Vladimir Chumak. Based on the novel by Smolyanitsky, this picture of a military theme united under its wing a whole inflorescence of the most talented artists of Soviet cinema, including Irina Muravyova, Igor Kvasha, Yevgeny Steblov, Marina Dyuzheva and others.

Thaw

At the end of the 1980s, in the creative development of director AlexanderSokurov, a new round has been outlined.

His paintings, which were initially banned from showing, have finally reached the target audience. Moreover, they were not only able to be seen by ordinary people, but also appreciated by jury members at various film festivals, including international ones. The director tirelessly emphasized that his homeland is Russia, and Alexander Sokurov, whose nationality is Russian, always remembers this. I must say that thanks to Sokurov's paintings, the director's homeland was presented at festivals quite worthily.

For a whole decade, starting from 1980, Alexander Nikolaevich worked hard and fruitfully. Often in one year he managed to give life to several films. In parallel with filming, director Sokurov taught novice colleagues at Lenfilm, was a presenter on television. The film director released a whole series of programs called "Sokurov's Island", in which he, together with the audience, sought answers to many pressing questions; discussed with the audience about the place of cinema in the modern life of society.

In addition, Alexander Sokurov hosted charity radio programs for young people.

What "La Francophonie" is about

Another picture in which Sokurov took a direct part is the film "La Francophonie" - a very fresh film, released in 2015. The work received recognition at the Venice Film Festival and seriously stirred up society.

What is the "La Francophonie" about? Sokurov made a film about Paris, which was occupied by the Nazis in 1940. It talks about how a Frenchman - the director of the Louvre - andthe German sent to oversee the museum did what was not expected of them - they saved the Louvre collection from ruin. "La Francophonie" is a film that screams about the need to save European cultural property. And the storyline in it is by no means invented, not inspired by abstract thoughts. The film, shot by the master of cinema, reflects the opinion of Alexander Sokurov about the current situation in the world - about the clash of the Muslim and Christian worlds, about the inevitability of a humanitarian catastrophe that can still be prevented. The master believes that the most important thing now is to realize this and do something urgently.

Alexander Nikolaevich does not hesitate to indicate his position and his attitude to everything that happens in the modern world. He sincerely believes that the fundamental foundations of Christianity and the values that have evolved with such difficulty over the centuries are now in danger of disappearing. Under the onslaught of representatives of Muslim culture - people of a different caste, a different approach to life and principles in general - the values of the Old World can disappear forever, sink into the abyss of non-existence. And it's scary. A hint of this situation is reflected in the painting "La Francophonie".

Sokurov emphasizes that he has great respect for people of the Muslim faith, but believes that "we" simply need to keep our distance from each other.

Prizes and awards

Alexander Nikolaevich Sokurov is an unusual person. It is difficult to say what is the secret of his success. He knows and loves what he does. Sokurov is workingconsistently, disciplined and clear. In his own words, organizationally he is easy to work with. His policy is understandable, it does not contain any hidden currents and pitfalls. Creatively, of course, everything is different.

Nevertheless, director Sokurov has so many awards, regalia and marks in his track record that at first it seems incredible. The master's works have been repeatedly nominated for prizes at international festivals: the Golden Bear prize at the Berlin Film Festival; "Nika" award for the film "The Lonely Voice of a Man"; Prize of the Tarkovsky Moscow Film Festival; Russian Film Critics Award and Special Jury Prize for the film "Mother and Son". His trophies include the prize for the visual solution in the film "Russian Ark" at the Toronto Film Festival; a special prize in Sao Paulo for the overall contribution to cinema; Argentine Film Critics Association Award for the film "Russian Ark"; prize for "For the artistic language that has influenced world cinema."

State Prize of Russia

Besides these marks, there is also the recognition of Sokurov as a film director and a person. In 1995, Alexander Nikolaevich was named one of the hundred best directors of world cinema; in 1997 - Honored Art Worker of Russia.

In 2004, Sokurov was awarded the honorary title of People's Artist of Russia. He also has iconic awards - the Order of the Rising Sun and the officer's cross of the Order of Arts and Letters. Repeatedly Sokurov was assigned to the State Prize of Russia. In 2014he was awarded the State Prize of the Russian Federation in the field of literature and art.

In general, the maestro is a rather closed person - Alexander Sokurov does not like to talk heart to heart with journalists. The personal life of the cinematographer is a closed topic. Although sometimes the director can share some details of his creative biography.

In one conversation, Alexander Nikolayevich spoke about the procedure for presenting the State Prize. It turns out that this process is lengthy and consists of several stages. The list of candidates is first agreed in the Council for Culture and Art under the President. The list is discussed, voted on, and as a result, the remaining candidates go to the president for approval. He gives a resolution, and after some time all the candidates enter the awards ceremony. As part of the event, a reception is organized with the participation of the head of state, the participants preliminarily go through a rehearsal of the official part. According to Alexander Nikolayevich, it is not easy to participate in the event - it is very exciting and takes a lot of energy.

Speaking about creative plans, director Sokurov admits that the success of "La Francophonie" did not make him rest on his laurels. The maestro is full of creative ideas, but so far he does not reveal the details of his projects - he is afraid to jinx it.