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Mikhail Konstantinovich Kalatozov ( ka, მიხეილ კალატოზიშვილი, russian: Михаил Константинович Калатозов; 28 December 1903 – 26 March 1973), born Mikheil Kalatozishvili, was a Soviet film director of
Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...
origin who contributed to both
Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...
and
Russian cinema The cinema of Russia began in the Russian Empire, widely developed in the Soviet Union and in the years following its dissolution, the Russian film industry would remain internationally recognized. In the 21st century, Russian cinema has become k ...
. He is most well known for his films ''
The Cranes Are Flying ''The Cranes Are Flying'' (russian: Летят журавли, translit. ''Letyat zhuravli'') is a 1957 Soviet film about the Second World War. It depicts the cruelty of war and the damage done to the Soviet psyche as a result of war, which ...
'' and ''I Am Cuba''. In 1969, he was named a
People's Artist of the USSR People's Artist of the USSR ( rus, Народный артист СССР, Narodny artist SSSR), also sometimes translated as National Artist of the USSR, was an honorary title granted to artists of the Soviet Union. Nomenclature and significan ...
. His film ''The Cranes Are Flying'' won the
Palme d'Or The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...
at the 1958
Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...
.
website


Biography

Kalatozishvili (his surname at birth) was born in
Tiflis Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Kura River with a population of approximately 1.5 million pe ...
,
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
. His family belonged to a noble Amirejibi house that traces its history back to the 13th century. One of Mikhail's uncles served as a General in the
Imperial Russian Army The Imperial Russian Army (russian: Ру́сская импера́торская а́рмия, tr. ) was the armed land force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian Ar ...
, another one was among the founders of the
Tbilisi State University Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University ( ka, ივანე ჯავახიშვილის სახელობის თბილისის სახელმწიფო უნივერსიტეტი ''Ivane Javaxishvi ...
. Kalatozov studied economics and changed many professions before starting his film career as an actor and later — as a cinematographer. He directed several documentary films, including ''Their Kingdom'' (with Nutsa Gogoberidze, the first Georgian female film director) and ''
Salt for Svanetia ''Salt for Svanetia'' ( ka, მარილი სვანეთს ''marili svanets''; russian: Соль Сванетии, Sol' Svanetii) is a 1930 Soviet-Georgian silent documentary film directed by Mikhail Kalatozov. As one of the earliest e ...
'' (1930). In 1933 he enrolled to the
Russian State Institute of Performing Arts The Russian State Institute of Performing Arts (russian: Российский государственный институт сценических искусств), formerly known as St Petersburg Theatre Arts Academy, formerly Leningrad State ...
. In 1936 he headed the
Kartuli Pilmi Georgian Film Studio ( ka, ქართული ფილმი, ''kartuli pilmi''; russian: Грузия-фильм; ''Gruziya-Fil'm'') is one of world's oldest film studios that has produced 800 features, made-for-TV and short films, 600 documen ...
film studio, then he was suggested a place at the
State Committee for Cinematography Goskino USSR (russian: link=Yes, Госкино СССР) is the abbreviated name for the USSR State Committee for Cinematography (Государственный комитет по кинематографии СССР) in the Soviet Union. It w ...
. In 1939 he moved to
Leningrad Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
to work at the
Lenfilm Lenfilm (russian: link=no, Ленфильм) is a Russian production company with its own film studio located in Saint Petersburg (the city was called Leningrad from 1924 to 1991, thus the name). It is a corporation with its stakes shared betwee ...
studio as a film director. During World War II he directed several propaganda films and worked as a cultural attaché at the Soviet embassy in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. During the 1950s he directed several other films. His four final features, ''
The Cranes Are Flying ''The Cranes Are Flying'' (russian: Летят журавли, translit. ''Letyat zhuravli'') is a 1957 Soviet film about the Second World War. It depicts the cruelty of war and the damage done to the Soviet psyche as a result of war, which ...
'' (1957), '' Letter Never Sent'' (1959), '' I Am Cuba'' (1964), and '' The Red Tent'' (1969), are among his most famous works. The first three movies are often praised for the masterful camerawork by the Russian cinematographer
Sergey Urusevsky Sergey Pavlovich Urusevsky (russian: Серге́й Павлович Урусевский) (23 December 1908, Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire - 12 November 1974, Moscow, Soviet Union) was a Soviet cinematographer and film director, renowned for his ...
. ''The Cranes Are Flying'' became one of the leaders of the 1957 Soviet box office (10th place with 28.3 million viewers) and won several international awards, including
Palme d'Or The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...
at the 1958
Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...
. ''The Red Tent'' was a joint Soviet-Italian effort and featured an international team of actors, including
Peter Finch Frederick George Peter Ingle Finch (28 September 191614 January 1977) was an English-Australian actor of theatre, film and radio. Born in London, he emigrated to Australia as a teenager and was raised in Sydney, where he worked in vaudeville ...
,
Sean Connery Sir Sean Connery (born Thomas Connery; 25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) was a Scottish actor. He was the first actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond on film, starring in seven Bond films between 1962 and 1983. Origina ...
,
Claudia Cardinale Claude Joséphine Rose "Claudia" Cardinale (; born 15 April 1938) is an Italian actress. She has starred in some of the most iconic European films of the 1960s and 1970s, acting in Italian, French, and English. Born and raised in La Goulette, a ...
,
Hardy Krüger Hardy Krüger (; born Eberhard August Franz Ewald Krüger; 12 April 1928 – 19 January 2022) was a German actor and author, who appeared in more than 60 films from 1944 onwards. After becoming a film star in Germany in the 1950s, Krüger increa ...
,
Nikita Mikhalkov Nikita Sergeyevich Mikhalkov (russian: Никита Сергеевич Михалков; born 21 October 1945) is a Soviet and Russian filmmaker, actor, and head of the Russian Cinematographers' Union. Mikhalkov is a three-time laureate of the ...
and others. It was nominated for the 1971
Golden Globe Award for Best English-Language Foreign Film Golden Globe Award for Best English-Language Foreign Film was a Golden Globe award that was split from Best Foreign Film in 1957. It was discontinued in 1973. Winners * 1948 – ''Hamlet'' * 1955 – ''Richard III'' * 1957 – ''Woman in a Dressi ...
. During the 1990s, ''I Am Cuba'' was discovered by American film professionals and showed to
Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominatio ...
and
Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola (; ; born April 7, 1939) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the major figures of the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Coppola is the recipient of five A ...
, who became so impressed with the production that they advocated the restoration and distribution of the movie that was conducted by
Milestone Films Milestone Film and Video is an independent film distribution company, founded in 1990 in the United States by Dennis Doros and Amy Heller. The company researches and distributes cinematographic material from around the world, including silent film, ...
. In 1995 it was nominated for the
Independent Spirit Award for Best International Film The Independent Spirit Award for Best International Film is an award presented annually at the Independent Spirit Awards The Independent Spirit Awards (abbreviated Spirit Awards and originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Aw ...
. Kalatozov was married to Zhanna Valachi, daughter of the
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
consul. They met in
Batumi Batumi (; ka, ბათუმი ) is the second largest city of Georgia and the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, located on the coast of the Black Sea in Georgia's southwest. It is situated in a subtropical zone at the foot of th ...
during vacation. In 1929 Zhanna gave a birth to their son Georgy and became a naturalized citizen of the Soviet Union. Georgy followed his father's steps and worked as a cinematographer and film director at the Kartuli Pilmi studio, and so did his grandson — Mikheil Kalatozishvili who also became a successful Russian film director and producer. Mikhail Kalatozov died in
Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
on March 26, 1973 after his seventh heart attack and was buried at the
Novodevichy Cemetery Novodevichy Cemetery ( rus, Новоде́вичье кла́дбище, Novodevichye kladbishche) is a cemetery in Moscow. It lies next to the southern wall of the 16th-century Novodevichy Convent, which is the city's third most popular tourist ...
. Mikheil Kalatozishvili founded a non-commercial Mikhail Kalatozov Fund named after his grandfather to help with film preservation and with funding of new movies.Mikhail Kalatozishvili
interview at
Echo of Moscow Echo of Moscow (russian: links=no, Эхо Москвы, translit=Ekho Moskvy) was a 24/7 commercial Russian radio station based in Moscow. It broadcast in many Russian cities, some of the former Soviet republics (through partnerships with local ra ...
(in Russian)


Filmography

*1930 ''
Salt for Svanetia ''Salt for Svanetia'' ( ka, მარილი სვანეთს ''marili svanets''; russian: Соль Сванетии, Sol' Svanetii) is a 1930 Soviet-Georgian silent documentary film directed by Mikhail Kalatozov. As one of the earliest e ...
''; documentary *1931 '' Nail in the Boot'' *1939 ''
Courage Courage (also called bravery or valor) is the choice and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. Valor is courage or bravery, especially in battle. Physical courage is bravery in the face of physical pain, h ...
'' *1941 ''
Valery Chkalov Valery Pavlovich Chkalov ( rus, Валерий Павлович Чкалов, p=vɐˈlʲerʲɪj ˈpavləvʲɪtɕ ˈtɕkaləf; – 15 December 1938) was a test pilot awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union (1936). Early life Chkalov was bo ...
'' *1950 '' Conspiracy of the Doomed'' *1953 ''
Hostile Whirlwinds ''Hostile Whirlwinds'' (russian: Вихри враждебные, Vikhri vrazhdebnye) is a 1953 Soviet historical film directed by Mikhail Kalatozov based on a screenplay by Nikolai Pogodin. Plot summary Film portrays the first years of Soviet ...
'' *1954 '' True Friends'' *1955 ''
The First Echelon ''The First Echelon'' (russian: Первый эшелон, translit. Pervyy eshelon) is a 1955 Soviet film directed by Mikhail Kalatozov, for which Dimitri Shostakovich wrote the music. A touching romance between the Secretary of the Komsom ...
'' *1957 ''
The Cranes Are Flying ''The Cranes Are Flying'' (russian: Летят журавли, translit. ''Letyat zhuravli'') is a 1957 Soviet film about the Second World War. It depicts the cruelty of war and the damage done to the Soviet psyche as a result of war, which ...
'' *1959 '' Letter Never Sent'' *1964 '' I Am Cuba'' *1969 '' The Red Tent''


References


Literature

* Anna Kalatozishvili, Zaza Japaridze (2012). — ''Mikhail Kalatozov''. — Tbilisi, 270 pages. — (biography) * German Kremlev (1964). — ''Mikhail Kalatozov''. — Moscow: Iskusstvo, 244 pages. (biography) * ''Cinema: Encyclopedic Dictionary'' (1987) / Ed.:
Sergei Yutkevich Sergei Iosifovich Yutkevich (russian: Серге́й Ио́сифович Ютке́вич, 28 December 1904 – 23 April 1985) was a Soviet and Russian film director and screenwriter. He was a People's Artist of the USSR (1962) and a Hero of ...
. — Moscow: Soviet Encyclopedia, 640 pages.


External links

*
Kalatozov Mikhail Konstantinovich
biography at To Be Remembered (in Russian) {{DEFAULTSORT:Kalatozov, Mikhail 1903 births 1973 deaths 20th-century screenwriters Film people from Tbilisi People from Tiflis Governorate Communist Party of the Soviet Union members Russian State Institute of Performing Arts alumni Directors of Palme d'Or winners People's Artists of Georgia People's Artists of the USSR Stalin Prize winners Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour Recipients of the Order of the Red Star Cultural attachés Silent film directors Cinematographers from Georgia (country) Film directors from Georgia (country) Screenwriters from Georgia (country) Soviet cinematographers Soviet expatriates in the United States Soviet film directors Soviet screenwriters Burials at Novodevichy Cemetery