Mikhail Kalatozov facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mikhail Kalatozov
Born	Mikheil Konstantinovich Kalatozishvili (1903-12-28)28 December 1903 Tiflis, Caucasus Krai, Russian Empire
Died	26 March 1973(1973-03-26) (aged 69) Moscow, Soviet Union
Resting place	Novodevichy Cemetery
Occupation	Film director, screenwriter, cinematographer
Years active	1928–1971
Notable work	The Cranes Are Flying (1957) I Am Cuba (1964)
Title	People's Artist of the USSR (1969)
Awards	Stalin Prize (1951)

Mikhail Konstantinovich Kalatozov (born Mikheil Kalatozishvili) was a famous Soviet film director. He was born on December 28, 1903, and passed away on March 26, 1973.

Mikhail was from Georgia, a country that was part of the Soviet Union. He made movies for both Georgian and Russian cinema. He is best known for his films The Cranes Are Flying and I Am Cuba.

His film The Cranes Are Flying won a very important award called the Palme d'Or. He received this award at the 1958 Cannes Film Festival. In 1969, he was given the title of People's Artist of the USSR. This was a high honor for artists in the Soviet Union.

About Mikhail Kalatozov

Mikhail Kalatozov was born in a city called Tiflis in the Russian Empire. His family, the Amirejibi house, was a very old and respected noble family. They had a long history going back to the 1200s.

Some of his relatives were also very important. One of his uncles was a General in the army. Another uncle helped start the Tbilisi State University.

Mikhail first studied economics. He worked many different jobs before he started his career in films. He began as an actor and then became a cinematographer. A cinematographer is the person in charge of the cameras and lighting in a movie.

He also directed several documentary films. These included Their Kingdom and Salt for Svanetia (made in 1930). Their Kingdom was made with Nutsa Gogoberidze, who was the first Georgian woman to direct films.

In 1933, Mikhail went to study at the Russian State Institute of Performing Arts. Later, in 1936, he became the head of the Kartuli Pilmi film studio. After that, he was offered a job at the State Committee for Cinematography.

In 1939, he moved to Leningrad to work as a film director at the Lenfilm studio. During World War II, he directed some films that supported the government. He also worked as a cultural attaché at the Soviet embassy in the United States. This meant he helped share Soviet culture in America.

His Famous Films

In the 1950s, Mikhail Kalatozov directed many more movies. His last four films are among his most famous works. These are The Cranes Are Flying (1957), Letter Never Sent (1959), I Am Cuba (1964), and The Red Tent (1969).

The first three of these films are often praised for their amazing camera work. This was done by the Russian cinematographer Sergey Urusevsky.

The Cranes Are Flying was very popular in the Soviet Union. It was one of the top movies of 1957, with over 28 million people watching it. It also won many awards around the world. The most important was the Palme d'Or at the 1958 Cannes Film Festival.

The Red Tent was a special movie because it was made by both Soviet and Italian filmmakers. It had actors from many different countries. Some of the famous actors included Peter Finch, Sean Connery, and Claudia Cardinale. This film was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 1971.

In the 1990s, the film I Am Cuba was rediscovered by American filmmakers. Famous directors like Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola were very impressed by it. They helped to get the movie restored and shared with more people. In 1995, I Am Cuba was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award.

His Family and Legacy

Mikhail Kalatozov was married to Zhanna Valachi. She was the daughter of the Italian consul. They met while on vacation in Batumi.

In 1929, Zhanna gave birth to their son, Georgy. She also became a citizen of the Soviet Union. Georgy followed in his father's footsteps. He worked as a cinematographer and film director at the Kartuli Pilmi studio.

Mikhail's grandson, Mikheil Kalatozishvili, also became a successful film director and producer in Russia. It seems filmmaking runs in the family!

Mikhail Kalatozov passed away in Moscow on March 26, 1973. He was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery. After his death, his grandson Mikheil started a special fund. This fund, called the Mikhail Kalatozov Fund, helps to save old films and support new movies.

Filmography

• 1930 Salt for Svanetia; documentary
• 1931 Nail in the Boot
• 1939 Courage
• 1941 Valery Chkalov
• 1950 Conspiracy of the Doomed
• 1953 Hostile Whirlwinds
• 1954 True Friends
• 1955 The First Echelon
• 1957 The Cranes Are Flying
• 1959 Letter Never Sent
• 1964 I Am Cuba
• 1969 The Red Tent

See also

In Spanish: Mijaíl Kalatózov para niños