Grigoriy Aleksandrov

Grigoriy ALEKSANDROV (1903-1983) was one of the most prominent filmmakers from the Soviet Union. His career started as a collaborator to Sergei Eisenstein, with whom he worked as co-director, screenwriter and actor on several films including Strike (1925) and October (Ten Days that Shook the World) (1927). In the 1930s, he gained popularity by directing several musical comedies featuring his wife Lyubov Orlova. After the second world war, he clashed with Stalin and struggled after the leader's death. He taught directing at VGIK from 1951 to 1957 and continued making films. His last film, Starling and Lyre (1974) was not released.

Filmography

(selection) October (Ten Days that Shook the World) (1927, co-dir), Tsirk (1936), Volga-Volga (1938), Time in the Sun (1940, co-dir), A Family (1943), Spring (1947), Man of Music (1952), Russkiy suvenir (1960), Starling and Lyre (1974)

Grigoriy Aleksandrov at IFFR

Starling and Lyre

Farewell project by the legendary Grigori Alexandrov, co-director of October. This grandly dressed-up melodrama, in which the Soviets fulfil the role of international peacemaker, is about the espionage couple Starling and Lyre who worked against the Germans during and after World War II. Yet the film suddenly disappeared from Russian cinemas after only a couple of screenings.

Grigoriy Aleksandrov

142'
Russia

IFFR 2019