In this section, you will find films from my youth. This was a period when we, as students of the Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute (KPI), were mastering the intricacies of filmmaking. Our film studio was unique among Soviet universities, boasting a full-cycle production facility for 35mm film. We had professional cinema cameras, developing machines, optical printers, and sound equipment capable of printing optical soundtracks. We even had a Moviola editing table straight from Hollywood—I now realize the name likely comes from the word “movie.”
At our studio, we produced a wide variety of content: from commissioned films marking the 85th anniversary of KPI to a propaganda short on the “preservation of bread” ordered by the Regional Communist Party Committee.
In the list below, the first film is mine; the others were directed by others, though I contributed as an actor, cinematographer, or assistant director. Back then, we had one main mentor and director—our teacher, Arkady Faustov.
It is worth noting that our studio produced many individuals who went on to become prominent figures in the film industry. Perhaps the most famous is Yevgeniy Mamut, who received an Academy Award (Oscar) in 1987 for his scientific and technical achievements in cinematography. Notably, his “optical stunt machine” was used to create the iconic camouflage effect for the movie Predator, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
(The photo above shows our teacher, or ‘the Chief’ as we called him, giving me a directorial brief)
Hands off
This is my “skit” film made as a parody of our boss and mentor, Arkady Faustov. 1980.
Obituary
At the same time, our boss was filming a movie “against” me. The difference was that the entire studio worked for him, while my film (above) was made by just the two of us.
The Textbook
This film isn’t mine, and I wasn’t involved in it as I was serving in the army at the time. It’s likely from 1979. But I love it. It’s a perfect practical guide for filmmaking—honestly, you don’t need anything else.
College Comedy Battle: KhPI vs. KhGU
April Fool’s Day
Should Iago Wish
A collaborative project with the drama group of our Students’ Palace. A joke on the theme of Shakespeare. I play the Director here.
Sicilian Defense
Etude
A cinematography coursework project by VGIK student Yura Brodsky. We filmed this at the RSFSR Artists’ Retreat near Vyshny Volochok.
… Other (8)
Axis: The Way It Was
This film was made by my friends as a gift for one of my anniversaries. Quite well done!
Men’s story
This is my film adaptation of a famous Soviet-era joke. It’s a parody of a classic children’s poem by Samuil Marshak, “The Scatterbrain” (which every Soviet child knew by heart). In the original, the hero gets on a train and mistakenly stays in a decoupled carriage. In my version, the joke takes a political twist: “Fima was headed for the Urals but ended up in Philadelphia. What a scatterbrain, that son of Sarah Moiseyevna!”
Horse on ice
This is an episode from an unfinished film titled The Piano. We ran out of resources. I tell everyone that nobody has a piano like mine, and here’s why: In the early ’60s, my future chief of staff and friend, Arkady Bakman, bought this piano in Chukotka (the Far East). Then he moved to Siberia. Then to Kryvyi Rih. After that, his daughter married an officer and took it to Grozny. Later, they transferred to my city, Kharkiv. They had nowhere to keep it, so they gifted the piano to my daughter. That’s the piano we’re talking about.
A graduation thesis project by the same cinematographer from VGIK.
And this is the earliest film in my archive. I’m not in it—I was only in the 5th grade back then. This 1965 film was made as a “homework” assignment for a KVN (Club of the Funny and Inventive) competition.
Walking Tour of Washington
Our walks around Washington, D.C.
LA
This is a very short video, but it is extremely relevant today given the great “love” for Russia.
Kharkiv Tour with Max Rosenfeld
In our Kharkiv, we have a city guide named Max. He gives wonderful tours of the city; he seems to have about seven different routes, each lasting around four hours—and it’s all on foot.
A very good April Fools’ film. Everyone says my performance in it was magnificent.
Pula Bridge Festival
This film is a tribute to Tihana Brkljačić. For over 60 years, starting with her father and continuing with her, their family has been the heart of the magnificent Pula Bridge Festival in Croatia. This is my gift to her.
The SYNT-50
The 50th Anniversary of the SINT Theater (Kharkiv).
Founded in 1963 by Gary Kertser, the SINT Theater (Student Engineering Theater) became a powerhouse of talent, launching the careers of numerous renowned actors and directors. Despite winning top honors at the World Festival of Youth and Students in Moscow, the theater faced constant pressure from Soviet censorship. A defining moment in its history was the production of Mayakovsky’s The Bathhouse. During a mandatory screening, Communist Party officials demanded the original script, certain that the provocative lines were added by the theater. Although not a single word had been changed, the authorities banned the play anyway. This film is a tribute to half a century of creative defianc