Vytautas Žalakevičius was a Lithuanian film director and writer.

Biography

Vytautas Žalakevičius studied mathematics and engineering at Kaunas University for two years. From 1951 to 1956 he studied film directing under Mikhail Chiaureli and Grigori Aleksandrov

Grigori Aleksandrov

Grigori Vasilyevich Aleksandrov or Alexandrov was a prominent Soviet film director who was named a People's Artist of the USSR in 1947 and a Hero of Socialist Labor in 1973...

 at VGIK in Moscow

Moscow

Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...

. He shot to fame with his 1956 film Adam wants to be a man starring Donatas Banionis

Donatas Banionis

Donatas Banionis is a Lithuanian and Soviet actor. He is best known in the West for his performance in the lead role of Tarkovsky's Solaris as Kris Kelvin....

 and his teacher, Juozas Miltinis

Juozas Miltinis

Juozas Miltinis was a Lithuanian theatre director and founder of the Panevėžys Drama Theatre. Miltinis has brought up a number of actors.-Biography:...

. His best known film, Nobody Wanted to Die

Nobody Wanted to Die

Nobody Wanted to Die is a 1966 Lithuanian film made in Soviet Lithuania and directed by Vytautas Žalakevičius. Žalakevičius, actor Donatas Banionis, and cinematographer Jonas Gricius were awarded USSR State Prize for the film in 1967.-Cast:...

, starring Lithuanian and Latvian actors, brought him international recognition. From 1974 to 1980, Žalakevičius was a staff director at Mosfilm

Mosfilm

Mosfilm is a film studio, which is often described as the largest and oldest in Russia and in Europe. Its output includes most of the more widely-acclaimed Soviet films, ranging from works by Tarkovsky and Eisenstein , to Red Westerns, to the Akira Kurosawa co-production and the epic Война и Мир...

, 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 Republic (1981) and People's Artist of Russia (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
  Nobody Wanted to Die
  Nobody Wanted to Die is a 1966 Lithuanian film made in Soviet Lithuania and directed by Vytautas Žalakevičius. Žalakevičius, actor Donatas Banionis, and cinematographer Jonas Gricius were awarded USSR State Prize for the film in 1967.-Cast:...
  
   (Niekas nenorėjo mirti)
• 1968 “Feelings” (LT: “Jausmai“), Lithuanian Film Studios
• 1970: Everything about Columbus (Visa teisybė apie Kolumbą)
• 1972: This sweet word - freedom (Это сладкое слово — свобода!)
• 1978: Centaurs (Kentaurai)
• 1980: Story of an unknown man (Nepažįstamo žmogaus pasakojimas)
• 1981: Fact
  Faktas
  Faktas is a 1981 Soviet war film directed by Almantas Grikevicius. It was entered into the 1981 Cannes Film Festival, where Yelena Solovey won the award for Best Supporting Actress.-Cast:* Regimantas Adomaitis* Donatas Banionis* Juozas Budraitis...
  
  (Faktas)
• 1982: Apology (Atsiprašau)
• 1987: Sunday in hell (Savaitgalį pragare)
• 1991: Tale of a non-turned-off Moon (Žvėris, išeinantis iš jūros)

External links