Vytautas Žalakevičius
Vytautas Žalakevičius | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | 12 November 1996 Vilnius, Lithuania | (aged 66)
Occupation(s) | Film director, screenwriter |
Years active | 1956-1991 |
Vytautas Žalakevičius (14 April 1930 – 12 November 1996) was a Lithuanian film director and writer. His 1973 film That Sweet Word: Liberty! won the Golden Prize at the 8th Moscow International Film Festival.[1]
Biography
Vytautas Žalakevičius studied mathematics and engineering at Kaunas University for two years. From 1951 to 1956 he studied film directing under Mikheil Chiaureli and Grigori Aleksandrov at VGIK in Moscow. He shot to fame with his 1956 film Adam wants to be a man starring Donatas Banionis and his teacher, Juozas Miltinis. His best known film, Nobody Wanted to Die, starring Lithuanian and Latvian actors, brought him international recognition. From 1974 to 1980, Žalakevičius was a staff director at Mosfilm, albeit his Moscow period was less productive, so he returned to Lithuania. Žalakevičius devoted himself to establishing independent Lithuanian film industry, and still worked with international cast of Lithuanian, Russian and Latvian actors. He also thought directing and writing and worked for television.
Recognition
Vytautas Žalakevičius was Artistic Director of the Lithuanian Film Studio. He was designated People's Artist of the Lithuanian SSR (1981) and People's Artist of the Russian SFSR (1980). He was co-chairman of the Lithuanian State Committee for Cinematography, member of Lithuanian Writers Union, and member of the Soviet Writers Union.
Filmography
- 1956: Skenduolis (graduation work, short)
- 1959: Adam wants to be a man (Adomas nori būti žmogumi)
- 1963: Chronicles of one day (Vienos dienos kronika)
- 1965: Nobody Wanted to Die (Niekas nenorėjo mirti)
- 1968 “Feelings” (LT: “Jausmai“), Lithuanian Film Studios
- 1970: Everything about Columbus (Visa teisybė apie Kolumbą)
- 1973: That Sweet Word: Liberty! (Это сладкое слово — свобода!)
- 1978: Centaurs (Kentaurai)
- 1980: Story of an unknown man (Nepažįstamo žmogaus pasakojimas)
- 1981: Fact (Faktas)
- 1982: Apology (Atsiprašau)
- 1987: Sunday in hell (Savaitgalį pragare)
- 1991: Tale of a non-turned-off Moon (Žvėris, išeinantis iš jūros)
References
- ^ "8th Moscow International Film Festival (1973)". MIFF. Retrieved 2012-12-25.