Marina Razbezhkina

Marina Razbezhkina is a prominent Russian film director and producer. She is known for her powerful and emotionally charged stories of everyday life in post-Soviet Russia. Her films are often described as poetic, yet realistic. She is a pioneer of the so-called “documentary style” of film-making that blurs the boundaries between fiction and reality.

Razbezhkina was born in 1950 in a small town in the Komi Republic of Russia and graduated from the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography in Moscow in 1972. She started her career as a director at the Lenfilm studio where she directed a number of short films, including the 1975 drama "The Wind." She quickly gained recognition for her work and in 1978 was awarded the Lenin Komsomol Prize for her film "Mama Don't Cry".

In the early 1980s, Razbezhkina began to focus on documentary films, which she found to be an effective way to capture the struggles of everyday life in Russia. Her films often featured stories of the elderly, children, and other marginalized members of society. In 1989, she directed the highly acclaimed "The Story of an Unknown Man," about a soldier who returns home from World War II to a changed home country.

In the 1990s, Razbezhkina shifted her focus to feature films, such as the 1994 drama "The Knife in Water" and the 1997 drama "The Needle," which both earned her numerous awards. In 1999, she directed the critically acclaimed "The Island of Solovki," which was awarded the Nika Award for Best Film.

Razbezhkina's work has had a profound influence on the development of contemporary Russian cinema. She is highly respected by her peers and is often referred to as the “Grandmother of Russian Film.” Her films continue to be popular and her work is often seen as a window into the lives of ordinary Russians.

Today, Razbezhkina is still active in the film industry and continues to produce thought-provoking and emotionally charged films. Her latest work, the 2018 drama "The Last Train," tells the story of a woman who is struggling to come to terms with the death of her son. It won the Best Feature Film Award at the Kinotavr Film Festival.

Marina Razbezhkina is an acclaimed director whose powerful and emotionally charged stories have touched the hearts of viewers all over the