Pyotr Yefimovich Todorovsky (russian: Пётр Ефи́мович Тодоро́вский, uk, Петро Юхимович Тодоровський, 26 August 1925 – 24 May 2013) was a

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...

, screenwriter and cinematographer of Jewish origin. His son

Valery Todorovsky Valery Petrovich Todorovsky (russian: Вале́рий Петро́вич Тодоро́вский; born 9 May 1962, in Odessa) is a Russian film director, screenwriter, TV producer whose best known film is '' Hipsters'' (2008). He is the son of ...

is also a film director.

Career

Todorovsky joined the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army ( Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, afte ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and drew on his war experiences for a number of films, including ''Rio-Rita'' (2008). In the 1950s, he worked as a cinematographer for

Marlen Khutsiev Marlen Martynovich Khutsiev (russian: Марле́н Марты́нович Хуци́ев; 4 October 1925 – 19 March 2019) was a Georgian-born Soviet and Russian filmmaker best known for his cult films from the 1960s, which include '' I Am Twe ...

. He liked to play

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

and composed songs for some of his films. Todorovsky's early 1980s melodramas gained him wide popularity in the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

. They have been described as "delightfully unpretentious comedies, homourous and touching at the same time". Todorovsky's ''

Intergirl ''Intergirl'' (russian: Интердевочка, translit. ''Interdevochka'') is a 1989 Soviet drama film. It is set in Leningrad (Saint Petersburg) in the time of perestroika during the 1980s. The film was the most popular Soviet film in ...

'' (1989) was the first Soviet film about prostitution and caused quite a stir. His next film ''

Encore, Once More Encore! ''Encore, Once More Encore!'' (russian: Анкор, ещё анкор!, Ankor, escho ankor!) is a 1992 post-war eccentric tragi-comedy set at the end of the Forties and the beginning of the Fifties. Release in the US took place October 10, 1992. T ...

'' (1992) presents a grim picture of moral prostitution in a dull, provincial garrison town.Anna Lawton. ''Imaging Russia 2000: Film And Facts''. New Academia Publishing, 2004. . Page 61.

Awards

Todorovsky was named a

People's Artist of Russia People's Artist of the Russian Federation (russian: Народный артист Российской Федерации, ''Narodnyy artist Rossiyskoy Federatsii''), also sometimes translated as National Artist of the Russian Federation, is an h ...

in 1985. ''Encore, Once More, Encore!'' won the 1992

Nika Award The Nika Award (sometimes styled NIKA Award) is the main annual national film award in Russia, presented by the Russian Academy of Cinema Arts and Science, and seen as the national equivalent of the Oscars. History The award was established i ...

for Best Film. '' Wartime Romance'' (1983) was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It was also entered into the 34th Berlin International Film Festival, where

Inna Churikova Inna Mikhailovna Churikova (russian: Инна Михайловна Чурикова; born 5 October 1943) is a Soviet and Russian film and theatre actress. Biography Churikova was born in Belebey, Bashkir ASSR, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union. In t ...

won the

Silver Bear for Best Actress The Silver Bear for Best Actress (german: Silberner Bär/Beste Darstellerin) was an award presented at the Berlin International Film Festival from 1956 to 2020. It was given to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance and was chos ...

Filmography

*''

Spring on Zarechnaya Street ''Spring on Zarechnaya Street'' (russian: Весна на Заречной улице, Vesna na Zarechnoy ulitse) is a 1956 Soviet drama film produced at the Odessa Film Studio and directed by Feliks Mironer and Marlen Khutsiev. The film was one o ...

'' (1956) *''

Nevermore Nevermore was an American heavy metal band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1991. The band has been inactive since 2011, due to personal issues between the band members. In April 2015, lead singer Warrel Dane confirmed that Nevermore had n ...

'' (1962) *''

Faithfulness Faithfulness is the concept of unfailingly remaining loyal to someone or something, and putting that loyalty into consistent practice regardless of extenuating circumstances. It may be exhibited by a husband or wife who does not engage in sexua ...

'' (1965) *'' Magician'' (1967) *''

Urban Romance Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to: * Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas * Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities Urban may also refer to: General * Urban (name), a list of people ...

'' (1970) *''

It Was in May It Was in May (russian: Был месяц май, Byl mesyats may) is a 1970 Soviet drama film directed by Marlen Khutsiev that depicts first weeks after the war had ended. Cast * Aleksandr Arzhilovsky as Lieutenant Nikolayev * Pyotr Todorovsky ...

'' (1970) *'' The Last Victim'' (1975) *'' Wartime Romance'' (1983) *'' Waiting for Love'' (1981) * ''

Along the main street with orchestra Through Main Street with an Orchestra (russian: По главной улице с оркестром, Po glavnoy ulitse s orkestrom) is a 1987 Soviet musical film directed by Pyotr Todorovsky. Plot 50-year-old teacher Vasily Muravin is experie ...

'' (1986) *''

'' (1989) *''

'' (1992) *''

What a Wonderful Game ''What a Wonderful Game'' (russian: Какая чудная игра, Kakaya chudnaya igra) is a 1995 Russian drama film directed by Pyotr Todorovsky. It was entered into the 19th Moscow International Film Festival. Cast * Andrey Ilin as Felix ...

'' (1995) *''

Retro Threesome ''Retro Threesome'' (russian: Ретро втроём) is a 1998 Russian romantic drama film directed by Pyotr Todorovsky. Plot The film tells about a stylish and modern woman who is drawn into the past and she begins to take photos in retro sty ...

'' (1998) *'' Life Is Full of Fun'' (2001) *'' Riorita'' (2008)

References

External links

*
Todorovski in Xavier Muñoz's ''Per tu, Rio Rita'', Omnia Books, 2018
- Biography of Enric Santeugini {{DEFAULTSORT:Todorovsky, Pyotr 1925 births 2013 deaths Soviet film directors Soviet screenwriters Soviet film score composers Male film score composers Russian film directors 20th-century Russian screenwriters 20th-century Russian male writers Male screenwriters Russian male writers High Courses for Scriptwriters and Film Directors faculty Academicians of the Russian Academy of Cinema Arts and Sciences "Nika" Ukrainian Jews 20th-century male musicians Soviet military personnel of World War II from Ukraine