Synopsis
The brilliant director Andrey Tarkovsky, whose works are considered masterpieces of world cinema, left us with eight films and an ever growing interest in and desire to understand his work. The documentary recounts Tarkovsky’s life and work, letting the director tell the story himself, as he shares with us his memories, his view of art and his reflections on the destiny of the artist and the meaning of human existence. Thanks to some extremely rare audio recordings, viewers are able to immerse themselves in the mysterious world of his cinematic imagery, allowing them to comprehend and reassess the work and inner life of the great director. The account is accompanied by never previously released recordings of poems by Arseny Tarkovsky, one of the greatest Russian poets of the 20th century and the director’s father, read by their author. Arseny’s poetry had always had an influence on Andrey’s movies, underlining the profound cultural and spiritual bond between father and son. The images of the film are made up of excerpts taken from the director’s works, rare contemporary photos and videos and sections shot in the places where Tarkovsky lived and made his movies, in Russia, Sweden and Italy, his adoptive home.
Filmmaker
Andrey A. Tarkovsky
(Moscow, 1970) Son of Andrey Tarkovsky, he has devoted his life and career to the preservation and promotion of his father’s work. He lives between Florence, Paris and Moscow. President of the Andrey Tarkovsky International Institute, he is a documentary filmmaker. He made his debut in 1996 with the TV documentary Andrey Tarkovsky. The reminiscence, on the life of his father; he has also made documentary portraits of artists and directed musical performances. He works with Russian and Italian television and with the German record label ECM. In 2006 he won the first prize at the festival of short films in Sabaudia with Bastignano. He organizes photographic exhibitions, concerts, retrospectives and the publication of books all over the world.
Filmography: Andrey Tarkovsky. A Cinema Prayer (2019), Manfredi, un ritratto sommesso (2007), Bastignano (curt, 2006), Andrey Tarkovsky. The reminiscence (1996)
