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Andrei Konchalovsky | |
|---|---|
Андрей Кончаловский | |
.jpg) Konchalovsky in 2023 | |
| Born | Andrei Sergeyevich Mikhalkov (1937-08-20)20 August 1937 (age 88) Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Other names | Andrei Sergeyevich Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1960–present |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 7 |
| Father | Sergey Mikhalkov |
| Relatives | Nikita Mikhalkov (brother) |
| Family | Mikhalkov |
| Website | www.konchalovsky.ru |
Andrei Sergeyevich Konchalovsky (Russian:Андрей Сергеевич Кончаловский; néMikhalkov; born 20 August 1937) is a Russian film and theatre director, screenwriter, and producer.[1] His filmmaking career spans over 60 years inSoviet,Hollywood, and contemporaryRussian cinema.[2][3] Early in his career, he was a screenwriting collaborator ofAndrei Tarkovsky. His film credits includeUncle Vanya (1970),Siberiade (1979),House of Fools (2002),The Postman's White Nights (2014),Paradise (2016), andDear Comrades! (2020). During the 1980's, he resided in the United States, where he directed films such asMaria's Lovers (1984),Runaway Train (1985),Shy People (1987), andTango & Cash (1989). He also directed the1997 miniseries adaptation of the ancient Greek narrativeThe Odyssey.
His films have won numerous accolades, including theCannesGrand Prix Spécial du Jury, aFIPRESCI Award, twoSilver Lions, threeGolden Eagle Awards, and aPrimetime Emmy Award. He is the laureate of several civil honours in Russia and abroad, including theOrder "For Merit to the Fatherland", aNational Order of the Legion of Honour, aFrench Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters, aCavalier of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic and aPeople's Artist of the RSFSR.
Konchalovsky is a member of theMikhalkov family. His father isSergey Mikhalkov, the lyricist of theSoviet andRussian national anthems, and his brother is filmmakerNikita Mikhalkov.
Konchalovsky was born Andrei Sergeyevich Mikhalkov on 20 August 1937 inMoscow, Russia, then part of the Soviet Union.[4][5][6] TheMikhalkov family has centuries-old artistic and aristocratic heritage tracing their roots to theGrand Duchy of Lithuania; in 2009, Konchalovsky testified that a great-grandfather resided in Lithuania.[7] His mother was poet Natalia Konchalovskaya, and his father was writerSergey Mikhalkov. Konchalovsky's brother is filmmakerNikita Mikhalkov. Konchalovsky is frequently referred to as Andron, but as he stated several times, Andron was just adiminutive used by his grandfather and never was his official name; he prefers the name Andrei.[8][9]
Konchalovsky studied for ten years at theMoscow Conservatory, preparing for a pianist's career. In 1960, however, he metAndrei Tarkovsky, whom he collaborated with onIvan's Childhood andAndrei Rublev.
His first own full-length feature,The First Teacher (1964), was favourably received in the Soviet Union and screened by numerous film festivals abroad. His second film,Asya Klyachina's Story (1967), was suppressed by Soviet authorities. When issued twenty years later, it was acclaimed as his masterpiece. Thereupon, Konchalovsky filmed adaptations ofIvan Turgenev'sA Nest of Gentle Folk (1969) andChekhov'sUncle Vanya (1970), withInnokenty Smoktunovsky in the title role.
In 1979 he was a member of the jury at the11th Moscow International Film Festival.[10] His epicSiberiade upon its 1979 release was favourably received atCannes, particularly for its scene featuring the binding and abuse of a Siberian Lynx, and made possible his move to the United States in 1980.
His most popularHollywood releases areMaria's Lovers (1984),Runaway Train (1985), based on a script by Japanese directorAkira Kurosawa (who had written it as an adaptation of Dostoevsky's "House of the Dead"[11]), andTango & Cash (1989), starringSylvester Stallone andKurt Russell. In 1985,Ned Tanen wanted to hire Konchalovsky to directThe Godfather Part III, but the other executives atParamount Pictures concluded the film could not be made withoutFrancis Ford Coppola andMario Puzo's involvement.[12] In the 1990s, Konchalovsky returned to Russia, although he occasionally produced historical films for U.S. television, such as his adaption ofThe Odyssey (1997) and the award-winningremake,The Lion in Winter (2003). In a 2023SAG-AFTRA Foundation interview,Emily Blunt stated that she auditioned for a role in the latter film, and said of Konchalovsky that "he was vile... he was really horrible," and that he was "really cruel during the audition and loved taking me down a peg or two." Blunt claimed that he promoted a "very misogynistic sort of vibe, and I was a shell of my former self by the time I came out."[13]
Konchalovsky's full-length feature,House of Fools (2003), with a cameo role byBryan Adams as himself, set in aChechen psychiatric asylum during the war, won him a Silver Lion at theVenice Film Festival.
In 2010, Konchalovsky released a longtime passion project of his,The Nutcracker in 3D, a musical adaptation ofPeter Ilyich Tchaikovsky's ballet. A musical film, it mixed live action and 3D animation, and starred Elle Fanning, John Turturro, Nathan Lane, and Richard E. Grant. The film was scored with music from the ballet, with additional lyrics byTim Rice. The film was universally panned by critics and audiences.
In the same year, Konchalovsky also featured inHitler in Hollywood, a bio-doc aboutMicheline Presle which evolves into a thrilling investigation of the long hidden truth behind European cinema. This mockumentary thriller uncovers Hollywood's unsuspected plot against the European motion picture industry. The film won the FIPRESCI Prize at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and was nominated for aCrystal Globe award in July 2010.
In 2012, Konchalovsky wrote, directed and producedThe Battle for Ukraine, which provided an in depth analysis of how Ukraine to this day struggles to escape from the close embrace of its former big brother, Russia. This extensive study lasted for almost three years and involved an array of Ukrainian, Russian and American historians, politicians and journalists, as well as the ex-President of PolandAleksander Kwaśniewski, the ex-President of SlovakiaRudolf Schuster, the ex-President of GeorgiaEduard Shevardnadze, the seventh Secretary-General of the United NationsKofi Annan, the ex-Prime Minister of RussiaViktor Chernomyrdin, and the businessmanBoris Berezovsky.
2013 saw Konchalovsky co-produce a story previously untold on film. Film-makerMargy Kinmonth invitedCharles III, at the time thePrince of Wales, to make a journey through history to celebrate the artistic gene in his family and reveal an extraordinary treasure trove of work by royal hands past and present, many of whom were accomplished artists. Set against the spectacular landscapes of theRoyal Estates and containing insights into works by members of theBritish royal family down the centuries and The Prince of Wales's own watercolours,Royal Paintbox explores a colourful palette of intimate family memory and observation.
His filmThe Postman's White Nights won theSilver Lion at the71st Venice International Film Festival.[14][15] The script is centered around the true story of Aleksey Tryaptisyn, a real lifeRussian Post officer based in a remoteRussian Far North village surroundingLake Kenozero.
In 2016,Paradise directed by him won theSilver Lion at the73rd Venice International Film Festival.[16][17] It was selected as the Russian entry for theBest International Feature Film at the89th Academy Awards.[18][19]
In 2020, Konchalovsky directedDear Comrades!, a historical drama about theNovocherkassk massacre. The film won theSpecial Jury Prize at the77th Venice International Film Festival.Anthony Lane, writing forThe New Yorker, called the film Konchalovsky's "masterpiece."
In 2012, Konchalovsky was one of 103 public figures to sign a petition in support of the bandPussy Riot during their 2012 trial.[20][21]
Konchalovsky endorsedSergey Sobyanin ofUnited Russia in the2013 Moscow mayoral election.[22]
In 2014, Konchalovsky signed a statement condemning theRussian annexation of Crimea.[23] However by 2017, he made statements supporting the annexation, claiming it was necessary.[24]
In 2020, Konchalovksy stated in an interview that he believedNikita Khrushchev's debunking ofJoseph Stalin's cult of personality duringDe-Stalinization was a mistake.[25]
Konchalovsky has voiced support for theongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.[26][27] On January 15, 2023, Konchalovsky was sanctioned by theUkrainian government.[28]
In the run-up to theRussian presidential election in 2024, Konchalovsky supportedVladimir Putin's candidacy, describing him as "an extraordinary leader, the most courageous and wise person".[29]
Konchalovsky has been married five times. His first wife was Irina Kandat. His second wife was Russian actress Natalya Arinbasarova, with whom he has one son: Russian film directorEgor, born 15 January 1966. His third wife was Viviane Godet, with whom he has a daughter, Alexandra Mikhalkova, born 6 October 1971. His fourth wife was Irina Ivanova, with whom he has two daughters: Nathalia and Elena. His fifth wife is Russian actressJulia Vysotskaya; they have been married since 1998 and have two children: Maria (1999) and Petr (2003).
In October 2013, Konchalovsky and daughter Maria were involved in a vehicular collision in the south of France. Konchalovsky lost control of a rented Mercedes and swerved into oncoming traffic, where he crashed into another car. Maria suffered atraumatic brain injury and was placed into aninduced coma. By 2018, Maria's condition had improved, and she returned to Russia with her parents.
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Executive producer only
| Year | Title | Functioned as | Country of Origin | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Writer | Producer | ||||
| 2005 | Culture is Destiny | No | Yes | Yes |  Russia | |
| 2012 | The Battle for Ukraine | Yes | Yes | Yes | Russia | |
| 2013 | Royal Paintbox | No | No | Yes |  United Kingdom | |
| 2020 | Homo Sperans | Yes | Yes | Yes | Russia | |
| Year | Title | Functioned as | Country of Origin | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Writer | Producer | ||||
| 1960 | The Steamroller and the Violin | No | Yes | No |  Soviet Union | |
| 1961 | The Boy and the Dove | Yes | Yes | No | ||
| 1982 | Split Cherry Tree | Yes | No | No |  United States | |
| 2007 | Dans le noir | Yes | No | No |  France | Segment ofTo Each His Own Cinema |
| Year | Title | Functioned as | Country of Origin | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Writer | ||||
| 1977 | Trans-Siberian Express | No | Yes | Soviet Union | |
| 1997 | The Odyssey | Yes | No | United States | Miniseries |
| 2003 | The Lion in Winter | Yes | No | Television film | |
| 2003–04 | Geniuses | Yes | No | Russia | Documentary series; 6 episodes |
| 2004 | The Burden of Power | Yes | No | Documentary series; 2 episodes | |
| 2025 | Khroniki russkoy revolyutsii | Yes | Yes | ||
| Year | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Best Film Not in the English Language | Dear Comrades! | Nominated |
| Year | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Best Foreign Film | Maria's Lovers | Nominated |
| Year | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special | The Odyssey | Won |
| 2004 | The Lion in Winter | Nominated |
| Year | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Best Motion Picture | House of Fools | Nominated |
| Best Director | Nominated | ||
| 2015 | Best Motion Picture | The Postman's White Nights | Nominated |
| Best Director | Nominated | ||
| Best Screenplay | Won | ||
| 2017 | Best Motion Picture | Paradise | Won |
| Best Director | Won | ||
| Best Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| 2021 | Best Motion Picture | Dear Comrades! | Nominated |
| Best Director | Won | ||
| Best Screenplay | Nominated |
| Year | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Best Director | The Story of Asya Klyachina | Won |
| 2015 | Best Film | The Postman's White Nights | Nominated |
| Best Director | Nominated | ||
| 2017 | Best Film | Paradise | Won |
| Best Director | Won | ||
| Best Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| 2020 | Best Film | Sin | Nominated |
...his family roots lie in this land. 'From the side of 17th century landowners Konchialovskis. My great-grandfather still lived in Lithuania'...
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