Vytautas Žalakevičius

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Vytautas Žalakevičius (born April 14, 1930 in Kaunas , Lithuania , † November 12, 1996 in Vilnius , Lithuania) was a Lithuanian screenwriter and director .

life and work

After graduating from the 1st secondary school in Kaunas , Žalakevičius initially studied from 1948 to 1950 at the mathematics faculty of the University of Vilnius . He then took up directing studies at the Moscow Film School (WGIK), where he was taught by renowned lecturers such as Grigory Alexandrov and Micheil Tschiaureli . In 1956 he finished his directing studies with the graduation film Skenduolis ( Eng . 'The Drowned'). His first full-length feature film, Adam wants to become a human being , with Donatas Banionis in the lead role, he directed three years later for the Vilnius studio. The film, for the scenario of which he was also responsible, was received controversially by film critics due to its modern formal design, but it inspired a number of young Soviet directors and ultimately attracted keen audience interest. A year later he realized the episode film Living Heroes as artistic director together with other Lithuanian directors , which won him the main prize of the XII. International Film Festival Karlovy Vary .

In 1966 he achieved his greatest commercial success with the film Nobody wanted to die , which gave him, as well as the actors Donatas Banionis and Regimantas Adomaitis , the final breakthrough in the film business. He was honored with the Grand Prix of the Moscow Film Festival in 1973 for the strip Das sweet Wort Freiheit , after which he switched to Mosfilm , where he filmed several strips from 1974 to 1980. He then returned to Lithuania, where he helped build a new independent Lithuanian film industry after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Filmography (selection)

  • 1959: Adam wants to become a person (Adomas nori būti žmogumi)
  • 1963: Chronicle of a day (Vienos dienos kronika)
  • 1965: Nobody wanted to die (Niekas nenorėjo mirti)
  • 1972: The sweet word freedom (Это сладкое слово - свобода!)
  • 1978: Centaurs (Kentaurai)
  • 1980: Tales of a Stranger (Nepažįstamo žmogaus pasakojimas)
  • 1981: The fact (fact)
  • 1982: Sorry (Atsiprašau)
  • 1987: Savaitgalį pragare
  • 1991: Žvėris, išeinantis iš jūros

Web links

swell

  1. ↑ a b cf. Steve Shelokhonov at http://imdb.com/name/nm0952377/bio
  2. ↑ a b c cf. Film mirror, No. 15 from 1980
personal data
SURNAME Žalakevičius, Vytautas
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Žalakevičius, Vitautas
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Lithuanian screenwriter and director
DATE OF BIRTH April 14, 1930
PLACE OF BIRTH Kaunas , Lithuania
DATE OF DEATH November 12, 1996
Place of death Vilnius