Vladimir Motyl
Encyclopedia
Vladimir Yakovlevich Motyl (26 June 1927 – 21 February 2010) was a Soviet
and Russia
n film director
and scenarist.
Vladimir Motyl was born in Lepiel
, Belarus
. His father was a Polish
émigré, who was arrested in 1930 and sent to Solovki
and died there the following year. Many of his other relatives suffered similar treatment. Vladimir and his mother were exiled to the Northern Urals, where he became fascinated in theatre and cinema, and later graduated from the Sverdlovsk Theatrical Institute. For about 10 years he worked in various theatres in the Urals and Siberia
and eventually became chief director of Sverdlovsk Young Spectator's Theatre
.
He decided to start afresh in cinema, despite having no technical qualifications. Eventually he directed his first film, Children of Pamirs (1963) (Detyi Pamira/Дети Памира) in Tajikistan
. This work was met with public success, as well as earning him the State Prize of Tajik SSR
(1964), and the title
of honorary citizen of Dushanbe
(1977).
His next film Zhenya, Zhenechka, and "Katyusha" (1967) (Женя, Женечка и "Катюша"), a romantic comedy/drama set in 1944, was warmly accepted by the public as well, but earned the displeasure of the Soviet agitprop
for "disrespectful" treatment of the second world war theme, and the director fell into disfavor.
Nevertheless he was invited to direct a film which was to become one of the most popular Soviet cult films, the "Red Western" (or technically, "Ostern
") White Sun of the Desert
. Notably, this film has a strong theme about exile, as its protagonist, Sukhov finds himself waylaid in Central Asia when trying to return home.
For his work, Motyl reveived numerous awards.
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and scenarist.
Vladimir Motyl was born in Lepiel
Lepiel
Lepel is a town located in the center of the Lepiel District in the Vitebsk Province of Belarus near Lepiel Lake. Lepiel is situated at about and its population in the 1998 census was 19,400.The coat of arms of Lepel incorporates the Pahonia symbol....
, Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
. His father was a Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
émigré, who was arrested in 1930 and sent to Solovki
Solovki
The Solovki prison camp was located on the Solovetsky Islands, in the White Sea). It was the "mother of the GULAG" according to Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn...
and died there the following year. Many of his other relatives suffered similar treatment. Vladimir and his mother were exiled to the Northern Urals, where he became fascinated in theatre and cinema, and later graduated from the Sverdlovsk Theatrical Institute. For about 10 years he worked in various theatres in the Urals and Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
and eventually became chief director of Sverdlovsk Young Spectator's Theatre
Young Spectator's Theatre
Young Spectator's Theatre was a standard name of a theatre for children and youth in many cities of the Soviet Union, usually referred to by this abbreviation: тюз, TYuZ...
.
He decided to start afresh in cinema, despite having no technical qualifications. Eventually he directed his first film, Children of Pamirs (1963) (Detyi Pamira/Дети Памира) in Tajikistan
Tajikistan
Tajikistan , officially the Republic of Tajikistan , is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. Afghanistan borders it to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east....
. This work was met with public success, as well as earning him the State Prize of Tajik SSR
Tajik SSR
The Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Tajik SSR for short, was one of the 15 republics that made up the Soviet Union. Located in Central Asia, the Tajik SSR was created on 5 December 1929 as a national entity for the Tajik people within the Soviet Union...
(1964), and the title
Title of honor
An honorary title or title of honor is a title bestowed upon individuals or organizations as an award in recognition of their merits.Sometimes the title bears the same or nearly the same name as a title of authority, but the person bestowed does not have to carry any duties, possibly except for...
of honorary citizen of Dushanbe
Dushanbe
-Economy:Coal, lead, and arsenic are mined nearby in the cities of Nurek and Kulob allowing for the industrialization of Dushanbe. The Nurek Dam, the world's highest as of 2008, generates 95% of Tajikistan's electricity, and another dam, the Roghun Dam, is planned on the Vakhsh River...
(1977).
His next film Zhenya, Zhenechka, and "Katyusha" (1967) (Женя, Женечка и "Катюша"), a romantic comedy/drama set in 1944, was warmly accepted by the public as well, but earned the displeasure of the Soviet agitprop
Agitprop
Agitprop is derived from agitation and propaganda, and describes stage plays, pamphlets, motion pictures and other art forms with an explicitly political message....
for "disrespectful" treatment of the second world war theme, and the director fell into disfavor.
Nevertheless he was invited to direct a film which was to become one of the most popular Soviet cult films, the "Red Western" (or technically, "Ostern
Ostern
The Ostern or Red Western was the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc countries' take on the Western.It generally took two forms:...
") White Sun of the Desert
White Sun of the Desert
White Sun of the Desert , a classic 'Eastern' or Ostern film of the Soviet Union.The film is one of the most popular Russian films of all time. Its blend of action, comedy, music and drama has made it wildly successful and it has since achieved the status of a cult film in Soviet and Russian...
. Notably, this film has a strong theme about exile, as its protagonist, Sukhov finds himself waylaid in Central Asia when trying to return home.
For his work, Motyl reveived numerous awards.
Filmography
- 1963: Children of Pamirs (Dyemi Pamira/Дети Памира), film director
- 1967: Zhenya, Zhenechka, and "Katyusha" (Женя, Женечка и "Катюша"), playwright, film director
- 1969: White Sun of the DesertWhite Sun of the DesertWhite Sun of the Desert , a classic 'Eastern' or Ostern film of the Soviet Union.The film is one of the most popular Russian films of all time. Its blend of action, comedy, music and drama has made it wildly successful and it has since achieved the status of a cult film in Soviet and Russian...
(Beloye Solntse Pustnyi/Белое солнце пустыни), film director - 1975: The Captivating Star of HappinessThe Captivating Star of HappinessThe Captivating Star of Happiness is a Soviet film. The title is an allusion to a line from a poem by Alexander Pushkin. It is a costume drama dedicated "to the women of Russia"....
(Zvezda plenitelnogo schast'ya/Звезда пленительного счастья) (the title is a line from a verse by Pushkin), playwright, film director - 1980: Forest (Lyes/Лес), playwright, film director
- 1984: Unbelievable bet (Neveroyatnoe Pari/Невероятное пари), film director
- 1987: My Best Respects (Tchest Imeyo/Честь имею), playwright
- 1991: Let's Part while we're alright (Rasstanemsya, poka khorishoye/Расстанемся, пока хорошие), playwright, film director
- 1993: (Okhlamon/Охламон), playwright, play director
- 1996: (Nesut menya koni/Несут меня кони), playwright, director, music of songs
Awards
- 1996:Order of Honour for the film White Sun of the Desert
- 1998: State Prize of the Russian FederationState Prize of the Russian FederationState Prize of the Russian Federation is a state honorary prize established in 1992 as the substitute for the USSR State Prize. In 2004 the rules for selection of laureates and the status of the award was significantly changed making them closer to such awards as Nobel Prize or the Soviet Lenin...
category Literature and Arts for year 1997, for the film White Sun of the Desert - 2003: Honorary titleTitle of honorAn honorary title or title of honor is a title bestowed upon individuals or organizations as an award in recognition of their merits.Sometimes the title bears the same or nearly the same name as a title of authority, but the person bestowed does not have to carry any duties, possibly except for...
of People's ArtistPeople's ArtistPeople's Artist is a honorary title in the Soviet Union, Union republics, in some other Eastern bloc states , as well as in a number of post-Soviet states, modeled after the title of the People's Artist of the USSR....
of Russian Federation