Mikhail Kalatozov

Mikhail Kalatozov 28 December 1903 27 March 1973 born Mikheil Kalatozishvili was a Soviet film director of Georgian origin who contributed to both Georgian and Russian cinema film director best known for his films The Cranes Are Flying 1957 and Soy Cuba 1964 The former won the Palme dOr at the 1958 Cannes Film Festival In 1969 he received the Peoples Artist of the USSR accolade Kalatozov studied economics and changed many professions before starting his career as an actor and later as a cinematographer He directed several documentaries including Their Kingdom 1928 with Nutsa Gogoberidze the first Georgian female director and Salt for Svanetia 1930 In 1933 Kalatozov enrolled to the Russian State Institute of Performing Arts Three years later he oversaw Kartuli Pilmi then he was suggested a place at the USSR State Committee for Cinematography In 1939 he moved to Leningrad to work at Lenfilm as a director During World War II he made several propaganda films and worked as a cultural attaché at the Soviet embassy in the United States