Aleksandr Medvedkin

Aleksandr Medvedkin

Born: March 8, 1900
Died: February 19, 1989
in Penza, Russian Empire [now Russia]
Aleksandr Ivanovich Medvedkin (Russian: Александр Иванович Медведкин; 24 February 1900 – 20 February 1989) was a Soviet Russian film director, best known for his 1935 film Happiness. His life and art are the subject of Chris Marker's documentary films, The Train Rolls On (1971) and The Last Bolshevik (1992).

He travelled around Russia in his Kinopoezd, a film-train, in which he carried film equipment and shot movies in Kolkhozy, which he would then screen there.

Movies for Aleksandr Medvedkin...

The Last Bolshevik
Title: The Last Bolshevik
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: March 25, 1993
Type: Movie
A documentary on Soviet filmmaker Aleksandr Medvedkin, examining his tumultuous career, the rediscovery of his masterpiece Happiness, and Russia's struggles over the course of the 20th Century.
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Anxiety. Thoughts of an Old Man
Title: Anxiety. Thoughts of an Old Man
Character: Self
Released: January 1, 1984
Type: Movie
The director's reflections on the modern politics of the Reagan administration.
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Madness. Reflections on the Cost of Murder
Title: Madness. Reflections on the Cost of Murder
Character: Self
Released: January 1, 1979
Type: Movie
About the difficult political situation in the world related to the arms race.
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The Train Rolls On
Title: The Train Rolls On
Character: Himself
Released: January 1, 1973
Type: Movie
This half-hour documentary focuses on Medvedkin and his CineTrain of the 1930s, a sort of mobile film workshop, complete with post-production facilities, animation stations and a large laboratory. Traveling thousands of miles across the Russian countryside, the train stopped to have its filmmakers document Ukranian harvest practices, steel production facilities in southern Russia and other industrial / agricultural matters; With each crew member living in 1 square meter living quarters, all individuals on the train were responsible for various odd-jobs and other practical matters in addition to their own film-making concerns.
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Stop Thief!
Title: Stop Thief!
Character: Blundering Tractor Driver
Released: December 31, 1930
Type: Movie
Lazy or incompetent peasants try to malinger and wriggle their way out of duties at the Kolkhoz.