Andrei Konchalovsky

Director & actor · born 20 August 1937 · Moscow, USSR [now Russia]

Andrei Sergeyevich Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky (Russian: Андре́й Серге́евич Михалко́в-Кончало́вский; born 20 August 1937, Moscow) is a Russian filmmaker, screenwriter, actor, producer and theater, TV director, who works in Russia and USA. His father was the writer Sergey Mikhalkov (1913) and the brother of Nikita Mikhalkov (1945), who is also a well known Russian filmmaker. Andrei Konchalovsky was a frequent collaborator of Andrei Tarkovsky (1932) earlier in his career. His work has won numerous accolades, including the "Cannes Grand Prix Spécial du Jury", a "FIPRESCI Award", two "Silver Lions", three "Golden Eagle Awards", and a "Primetime Emmy Award".

He studied for ten years at the Moscow Conservatory, preparing for a pianist's career. In 1960, however, he met Andrei Tarkovsky and co-scripted his movie Andrei Rublev (1966). His first full-length feature, The First Teacher (1964), was favourably received in the Soviet Union and screened by numerous film festivals abroad. His second film, Asya Klyachina's Story (1967), was suppressed by Soviet authorities. When issued twenty years later, it was acclaimed as his masterpiece. Thereupon, Konchalovsky filmed adaptations of Ivan Turgenev's A Nest of Gentle Folk (1969) and Chekhov's Uncle Vanya (1970), with Innokenty Smoktunovsky in the title role. His epic Siberiade upon its 1979 release was favourably received at Cannes and made possible his move to the United States in 1980.

Where to start: Ivan's Childhood (1962).