Mikhail Kalatozov
Encyclopedia
Mikhail Kalatozov born Mikheil Kalatozishvili (28 December 1903–27 March 1973) was a Georgian/Russian film director. Born in Tiflis
(now Tbilisi), he studied economics before starting his film career as an actor and later cinematographer.
He directed several documentary films, including Salt for Svanetia
(1930), but was forced to withdraw from his profession after his film Nail in the Boot (1931) was banned by Stalinist censors. During World War II he directed several propaganda films and worked as a cultural attaché at the Soviet embassy in the United States.
During the 1950s he directed several other films. His four final features were The Cranes Are Flying
(1957), The Unsent Letter
(1959), I Am Cuba
(1964), and The Red Tent
(1971) are among his most famous works.
Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
(now Tbilisi), he studied economics before starting his film career as an actor and later cinematographer.
He directed several documentary films, including Salt for Svanetia
Salt for Svanetia
Salt for Svanetia is a 1930 Georgian silent documentary film directed by Mikhail Kalatozov. As one of the earliest ethnographic films, it documents the life of the Svan people in the isolated mountain village of Ushguli in Svanetia, in the northwestern part of the Georgian Soviet Republic...
(1930), but was forced to withdraw from his profession after his film Nail in the Boot (1931) was banned by Stalinist censors. During World War II he directed several propaganda films and worked as a cultural attaché at the Soviet embassy in the United States.
During the 1950s he directed several other films. His four final features were The Cranes Are Flying
The Cranes are Flying
The Cranes Are Flying is a Soviet film about World War II. It depicts the cruelty of war and the damage suffered to the Soviet psyche as a result of World War II . It was directed at Mosfilm by the Georgian-born Soviet director Mikhail Kalatozov in 1957 and stars Aleksey Batalov and Tatiana...
(1957), The Unsent Letter
The Unsent Letter
The Unsent Letter is a 1959 Soviet drama film directed by Mikhail Kalatozov. It was entered into the 1960 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Tatyana Samojlova - Tanya* Innokenti Smoktunovsky - Sabinine* Galina Kozhakina - Vera* Vasili Livanov - Andrei...
(1959), I Am Cuba
I Am Cuba
I am Cuba is a 1964 Soviet-Cuban film directed by Mikhail Kalatozov at Mosfilm. The film was not received well by either the Russian or Cuban public and was almost completely forgotten until it was re-discovered by filmmakers in the United States thirty years later...
(1964), and The Red Tent
The Red Tent (film)
The Red Tent is a joint Soviet/Italian 1969 film directed by Mikhail Kalatozov.The film is based on the story of the mission to rescue Umberto Nobile and the other survivors of the crash of the Airship Italia. It features Sean Connery as Roald Amundsen and Peter Finch as Nobile. The script was...
(1971) are among his most famous works.
Filmography
- 1928 Their Empire; co-directed with Nutsa Gogoberidze
- 1930 The Blind Woman; lost film
- 1930 Salt for SvanetiaSalt for SvanetiaSalt for Svanetia is a 1930 Georgian silent documentary film directed by Mikhail Kalatozov. As one of the earliest ethnographic films, it documents the life of the Svan people in the isolated mountain village of Ushguli in Svanetia, in the northwestern part of the Georgian Soviet Republic...
; documentary - 1931 Nail in the Boot
- 1939 Courage
- 1941 Valery ChkalovValery Chkalov (film)Valery Chkalov is a Soviet 1941 film about the life of Valery Chkalov. Directed by Mikhail Kalatozov. Screenplay by Georgy Baidukov, Boris Chirskov and Dmitri Tarasov. Produced by Lenfilm...
- 1942 Invincible
- 1950 Plot of the Doomed
- 1953 Hostile WhirlwindsHostile WhirlwindsHostile Whirlwinds is a 1953 film Soviet directed by Mikhail Kalatozov based on a screenplay by Nikolai Pogodin.- Plot summary :Film exercises the first years of Soviet government, biography of Felix Dzerzhinsky in 1918-1921....
- 1954 True FriendsTrue Friends (film)True Friends is a 1954 dramatic comedy film directed by Mikhail Kalatozov.-Plot:Alexander, Boris and Vasily are three old friends, who now rarely see each other as they are busy with their professional life...
- 1955 The First Echelon
- 1957 The Cranes Are FlyingThe Cranes are FlyingThe Cranes Are Flying is a Soviet film about World War II. It depicts the cruelty of war and the damage suffered to the Soviet psyche as a result of World War II . It was directed at Mosfilm by the Georgian-born Soviet director Mikhail Kalatozov in 1957 and stars Aleksey Batalov and Tatiana...
- 1959 The Unsent LetterThe Unsent LetterThe Unsent Letter is a 1959 Soviet drama film directed by Mikhail Kalatozov. It was entered into the 1960 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Tatyana Samojlova - Tanya* Innokenti Smoktunovsky - Sabinine* Galina Kozhakina - Vera* Vasili Livanov - Andrei...
- 1964 I Am CubaI Am CubaI am Cuba is a 1964 Soviet-Cuban film directed by Mikhail Kalatozov at Mosfilm. The film was not received well by either the Russian or Cuban public and was almost completely forgotten until it was re-discovered by filmmakers in the United States thirty years later...
- 1971 The Red TentThe Red Tent (film)The Red Tent is a joint Soviet/Italian 1969 film directed by Mikhail Kalatozov.The film is based on the story of the mission to rescue Umberto Nobile and the other survivors of the crash of the Airship Italia. It features Sean Connery as Roald Amundsen and Peter Finch as Nobile. The script was...