Alexander Sokurov

 Alexander Sokurov was born in 1951 in Russia in the village of Podorvikha (Irkutsk district). His father was a military officer, a veteran of World War II. During Sokurov"s childhood his family frequently moved from one place to another, thus he first went to school in Poland and graduated in Turkmenia.

After graduating from high school in 1968, the future filmmaker entered Gorky University (Department of History). While a student he began working as a staff member for the Gorky television — first as a producer"s technical assistant and later as a producer"s assistant. During his work at the television station Sokurov obtained wide experience in film and television technology; and, at the age of 19, he made his first television shows as a producer. In the course of 6 years at the Gorky television Sokurov created several films and live TV shows.

In 1974 he got his first degree in History from the Gorky University.

In 1975 Sokurov entered the Producer"s Department at the All-Union Cinematography Institute (VGIK, Moscow) (Documentary Film studio of Alexander Zguridi).

As an excellent student of VGIK he was granted the Eisenstein Scholarship.

In 1979 Sokurov had to pass external exams and to graduate from VGIK one year early because of his conflict with the administration of the Institute and the leadership of Goskino (State Office of Cinematography): his student works in cinematography were deemed unacceptable, and he was accused of formalism and anti-Soviet views.

His first feature film, which later received a number of awards, was “The Lonely Voice of a Man,” after an original story by the Russian writer Andrey Platonov; it was not accepted as a graduating project. It was at that time that he received support from the outstanding film director Andrey Tarkovsky, who was out of favor with the authorities at that time and very highly appreciated Sokurov"s first work. Sokurov"s friendship with Tarkovsky did not come to an end even when the latter left Russia.

With Tarkovsky"s recommendation letter Sokurov was employed by the film studio “Lenfilm” in 1980, where he worked on his first feature films. At the same time Sokurov worked at the Leningrad Studio for Documentary Films, where he has made all of his documentaries at different times.

Even Sokurov"s first films in Leningrad caused negative feedback from the communist party leadership of the city and from the Goskino. For a long time (until the period of democratic reforms in the mid-80s) none of his films were approved for public screening by Soviet censors.

In the late 80s a number of his early feature and documentary films were released for public performance and represented the Russian film industry at many international festivals. In the 80–90s he sometimes made several feature and documentary films in one year.

At the same time Sokurov was involved in non-commercial programs for youth on the radio and taught a class in Film Directing for young people at the Lenfilm Studio. In 1998–1999 he conducted a television show, “Ostrov Sokurova” (Sokurov"s Island) where the issue of the place of cinematography in modern culture was raised.

In the mid-90s together with his colleagues Sokurov began to familiarize himself with video technologies. This process continues today. The filmmaker has produced a number of documentary films. Several of them were made in Japan for Japanese TV companies due to the enthusiasm and generosity of Sokurov"s Japanese friends.

He has been a participant and laureate of many international festivals. Every year his films are shown in various foreign countries.

Several times he has received awards from international festivals: the FIPRESSI Award, the Tarkovsky Award, the Russian State Award (1997) and the Vatican Award, “Third Millennium” (1998).

In 1995 the European Film Academy listed Sokurov as being among the best 100 directors of world cinema.

At the present moment he is in the process of founding a film studio, “Bereg,” for non-commercial feature and documentary films. The foundation for this venture is laid by Sokurov"s camera crew at “Lenfilm”. The studio has no governmental or private funding. 


"The island of Sokurov"

ABOUT FILMS

• 2007 Elegy of Life (doc/f) (film director, scriptwriter )
• 2007 Alexandra (tv/f) (film director, scriptwriter )
• 2004 The Sun (tv/f) (film director)
• 2003 Father and son (tv/f) (film director)
• 2002 Russian Ark (tv/f) (film director, scriptwriter )
• 2001 Elegy of a Voyage (doc/f) (film director)
• 2000 Taurus (tv/f) (film director, operator)
• 1999 dolce… (doc/f) (film director, scriptwriter )
• 1999 Moloch (tv/f) (film director)
• 1998 Confession (doc/f) (film director, scriptwriter )
• 1998 The Dialogues with Solzhenitsyn (doc/f) (film director, scriptwriter )
• 1997 The St. Petersburg Diary Kosintsev's Flat (doc/f) (film director, scriptwriter )
• 1997 A Humble Life (doc/f) (film director, scriptwriter )
• 1997 The St. Petersburg Diary Inauguration of a monument to Dostoevsky (doc/f) (film director, scriptwriter )
• 1996 Mother and Son (tv/f) (Film Director)
• 1996 Oriental Elegy (doc/f) (film director, scriptwriter )
• 1996 Hubert Robert. A Fortunate Life (doc/f) (film director, scriptwriter )
• 1995 Soldier's Dream (doc/f) (film director, scriptwriter )
• 1995 Spiritual Voices (doc/f) (film director, scriptwriter )
• 1993 Whispering Pages (tv/f) (film director, scriptwriter )
• 1992 Stone (doc/f) (film director, scriptwriter )
• 1992 Elegy from Russia (doc/f) (film director, scriptwriter )
• 1991 An Example of Intonation (doc/f) (film director, scriptwriter )
• 1990 Petersburg Elegy (doc/f) (film director, scriptwriter )
• 1990 To The Events In Transcaucasia (doc/f) (film director, scriptwriter )
• 1990 The Second Circle (tv/f) (film director)
• 1990 A Simple Elegy (doc/f) (film director, scriptwriter )
• 1989 Soviet Elegy (doc/f) (film director, scriptwriter )
• 1989 Save and Protect (tv/f) (film director)
• 1988 Moscow Elegy (doc/f) (film director, scriptwriter )
• 1988 Days of Eclipse (tv/f) (film director)
• 1987 Evening Sacrifice (doc/f) (film director, scriptwriter )
• 1987 Patience Labour (doc/f) (film director, scriptwriter )
• 1986 Elegy (doc/f) (film director, scriptwriter )
• 1983 Painful Indifference (doc/f) (film director, scriptwriter )
• 1982 And Nothing More (doc/f) (film director, scriptwriter )
• 1981 Sonata for Viola. Dmitri Shostakovitch (doc/f) (film director)
• 1980 The Degraded (tv/f) (film director, scriptwriter )
• 1979 Sonata for Hitler (doc/f) (film director, scriptwriter )
• 1978 Maria (Peasant Elegy) (doc/f) (film director, scriptwriter )
• 1978 The Lonely Voice of Man (tv/f) (film director)

PRIZES

Father and son

2003

FIPRESSI Prize at the International Film Festival in Cannes.

A participant as a contestant in the programme of the International Film Festival in Cannes.

Taurus

2001

Participant of competition program of the International Film Festival in Cannes;

Grand Prix of Ninth Festival of Russian Cinema «Window to Europe», Prize «For Best Male Role» (Leonid Mozgovoy), Prize for Best Female Role (Mariya Kuznetsova)

2002

National prize «Gold Aries» of the movie critics and the movie press in nominations «Best Film», «Best Direction» (Alexander Sokurov), «Best Script» (Yury Arabov), «Best Photography» (Alexander Sokurov), «Best Art Director» (Natalya Kocherghina), Best Female Role and Best Male Role (Mariya Kusnetsova and Leonid Mozgovoy)

«Nike» prize for 2001 in nominations: «Best Fiction Film» (together with Victor Sergeev), «Best Producer», «Best Photography Director» (Alexander Sokurov)

2003

Andjey Vayida Prize at the «Freedom» Film Festival

Mother and Son

1997

Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, CICAE Jury Prize at the Berlin IFF

«Silver Georgy» Prize at the Moscow IFF

Save and Protect

1993

FIPRESCI Prize at the Montreal IFF

Soviet Elegy

1993

Grand Prix for the best non-fiction film at the Oberhausen IFF

The Second Circle

1990

FIPRESCI Prize at the Rotterdam IFF

The Lonely Voice of Man

1987

«Bronze Leopard» Prize at the Locarno IFF