Grigori Chukhrai
Encyclopedia
Grigori Naumovich Chukhrai was a prominent Soviet film director
and screenwriter
. He is the father of director Pavel Chukhrai
.
in the Zaporizhia Oblast
of Ukraine
. A decorated veteran of World War II
, Chukhrai's wartime experiences profoundly affected him and the majority of his films were connected with events of the war.
At war's end, he studied filmmaking at the Soviet State Film School and then developed his craft as a director's assistant at the Kiev
Film Studio. By the mid 1950s, he began writing and directing his own films, gaining cinematic recognition outside the Soviet Union at the 1957 Cannes Film Festival
with his film Sorok pervyj
(The Forty-first).
In 1959, Chukhrai co-wrote and directed his greatest work, Ballad of a Soldier
. A story of love and the tragedy of war made without the usual Soviet propaganda, the film received great acclaim at home, earning the prestigious Lenin Prize
. It was heralded internationally for both its story and cinematic technique and at Cannes
in 1960 the film was awarded a special jury prize for "high humanism and outstanding quality." Ballad of a Soldier overcame the Cold War
barrier and premiered in the United States
in 1960 at the San Francisco International Film Festival
in San Francisco, California
. The film won the Festival's Golden Gate Award, for Best Picture and for Best Director for Grigori Chukhrai. Playing worldwide, the following year, it earned the BAFTA Award for Best Film
. Grigori Chukhrai and script co-writer Valentin Yezhov were also nominated for an Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay.
Chukhrai's next film, released in 1961, was titled Chistoye nebo (Clear Skies) and told the story of a Soviet pilot who survives Nazi
imprisonment during the war but is later accused of being a spy. It was one of the first Soviet films to deal with some of the repressive practices under the Soviet leadership of Premier Joseph Stalin
.
In 1984, at age 63, Chukhrai directed his final film. He wrote a book of war memoirs and in 1994, for his lifetime contribution to film, Chukhrai was given a Nika Award
, the Russian film industry's equivalent of an Oscar
.
Grigori Chukhrai died of heart failure in Moscow in 2001 at the age of eighty.
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 screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
. He is the father of director Pavel Chukhrai
Pavel Chukhrai
Pavel Grigorovich Chukhrai is a Russian film director, son of Grigori Chukhrai. His most successful film to date was The Thief , nominated to the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and winning the Nika Award for Best Picture and Best Directing.-References:...
.
Career
He was born in MelitopolMelitopol
Melitopol is a city in the Zaporizhia Oblast of the southeastern Ukraine. It is situated on the Molochna River that flows through the eastern edge of the city and into the Molochnyi Liman, which eventually joins the Sea of Azov....
in the Zaporizhia Oblast
Zaporizhia Oblast
Zaporizhia Oblast is an oblast of southern Ukraine. Its capital is Zaporizhia.This oblast is an important part of Ukraine's industry and agriculture.-Geography:...
of Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. A decorated veteran of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Chukhrai's wartime experiences profoundly affected him and the majority of his films were connected with events of the war.
At war's end, he studied filmmaking at the Soviet State Film School and then developed his craft as a director's assistant at the Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
Film Studio. By the mid 1950s, he began writing and directing his own films, gaining cinematic recognition outside the Soviet Union at the 1957 Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
with his film Sorok pervyj
The Forty-First (1956 film)
The Forty-First, is a 1956 Soviet film based on the novel of the same name by Boris Lavrenyev. The film was directed by Grigori Chukhrai and starred Izolda Izvitskaya and Oleg Strizhenov...
(The Forty-first).
In 1959, Chukhrai co-wrote and directed his greatest work, Ballad of a Soldier
Ballad of a Soldier
Ballad of a Soldier , is a 1959 Soviet film directed by Grigori Chukhrai and starring Vladimir Ivashov and Zhanna Prokhorenko. While set during World War II, Ballad of a Soldier is not primarily a war film...
. A story of love and the tragedy of war made without the usual Soviet propaganda, the film received great acclaim at home, earning the prestigious Lenin Prize
Lenin Prize
The Lenin Prize was one of the most prestigious awards of the USSR, presented to individuals for accomplishments relating to science, literature, arts, architecture, and technology. It was created on June 23, 1925 and was awarded until 1934. During the period from 1935 to 1956, the Lenin Prize was...
. It was heralded internationally for both its story and cinematic technique and at Cannes
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
in 1960 the film was awarded a special jury prize for "high humanism and outstanding quality." Ballad of a Soldier overcame the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
barrier and premiered in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1960 at the San Francisco International Film Festival
San Francisco International Film Festival
San Francisco International Film Festival is the oldest continuously running film festival in the Americas. Organized by the San Francisco Film Society, the International is held each spring for two weeks, presenting an average of 150 films from over 50 countries...
in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. The film won the Festival's Golden Gate Award, for Best Picture and for Best Director for Grigori Chukhrai. Playing worldwide, the following year, it earned the BAFTA Award for Best Film
BAFTA Award for Best Film
This page lists the winners and nominees for the BAFTA Award for Best Film, BAFTA Award for Best Film not in the English Language and Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film for each year, in addition to the retired earlier versions of those awards...
. Grigori Chukhrai and script co-writer Valentin Yezhov were also nominated for an Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay.
Chukhrai's next film, released in 1961, was titled Chistoye nebo (Clear Skies) and told the story of a Soviet pilot who survives Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
imprisonment during the war but is later accused of being a spy. It was one of the first Soviet films to deal with some of the repressive practices under the Soviet leadership of Premier Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
.
Nika Award
The Nika Award is a prestigious annual ceremony held by the Russian Academy of Cinema Arts and Sciences which was established in 1987 in Moscow, Russia by Yuli Gusman, and ostensibly modelled on the Academy Awards . Russian Academy Award takes its name from Nike, the goddess of victory...
, the Russian film industry's equivalent of an Oscar
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
.
Grigori Chukhrai died of heart failure in Moscow in 2001 at the age of eighty.
Filmography
| Year | English Title | Original Title | Notes |
| 1956 | The Forty-first The Forty-First (1956 film) The Forty-First, is a 1956 Soviet film based on the novel of the same name by Boris Lavrenyev. The film was directed by Grigori Chukhrai and starred Izolda Izvitskaya and Oleg Strizhenov... |
Сорок первый | Director |
| 1959 | Ballad of a Soldier Ballad of a Soldier Ballad of a Soldier , is a 1959 Soviet film directed by Grigori Chukhrai and starring Vladimir Ivashov and Zhanna Prokhorenko. While set during World War II, Ballad of a Soldier is not primarily a war film... |
Баллада о солдате | Director; screenwriter |
| 1961 | Clear Skies | Чистое небо | Director |
| 1965 | There Was an Old Couple There Was an Old Couple There Was an Old Couple is a 1965 Soviet drama film directed by Grigori Chukhrai. It was entered into the 1965 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Ivan Marin - The Old Man, Gusakov* Vera Kuznetsova - The Old Woman, Gusakova* Lyudmila Maksakova - Nina... |
Жили-были старик со старухой | Director |
| 1966 | People! | Director | |
| 1971 | Memory | Память | Director; documentary |
| 1978 | Untypical Story | Трясина | Director; screenwriter |
| 1980 | Life Is Beautiful | Жизнь прекрасна | Director; screenwriter |
| 1984 | I'll Teach You to Dream | Я научу вас мечтать | Co-director with Yuri Shvyryov; documentary |