Mikhail Ilych Romm (Russian: Михаил Ильич Ромм; 24
January [O.S. 11 January] 1901 â€" 1 November 1971) was a Soviet film
director.He was born in Irkutsk. His father was a social democrat of
Jewish descent who had been exiled there. He graduated from gymnasium
in 1917 and entered the Moscow College for Painting, Sculpture and
Architecture. From 1918 - 1921, he served in the Red Army during the
Russian civil war, first as a signalman and later rising to the rank
of inspector of a Special Commission concerning the numbers of the Red
Army and Fleet (Russian: ÐžÑ Ð¾Ð±Ð°Ñ ÐºÐ¾Ð¼Ð¸Ñ Ñ Ð¸Ñ Ð¿Ð¾
Ð²Ð¾Ð¿Ñ€Ð¾Ñ Ð°Ð¼ Ñ‡Ð¸Ñ Ð»ÐµÐ½Ð½Ð¾Ñ Ñ‚Ð¸ ÐšÑ€Ð°Ñ Ð½Ð¾Ð¹ Ррмии и
Флота) of the Field Staff of the Supreme Military Soviet of the
Republic (Полевой штаб Ð ÐµÐ²Ð²Ð¾ÐµÐ½Ñ Ð¾Ð²ÐµÑ‚Ð° Ð
ÐµÑ Ð¿ÑƒÐ±Ð»Ð¸ÐºÐ¸). As such he travelled a lot and had the
opportunity to see much of the life in different parts of the country,
something that he later said he "recalled with gratitude".After the
end of his military career, Romm received a scholarship from the
Soviet government. In 1925 he graduated as a sculptor from the class
of Anna Golubkina of the Highest Artistic-Technical Institute and
worked as a sculptor and translator. In 1928-1930 he conducted
research on the theory of cinema in the Institute for the methods of
extra-scholastic work (Institut metodov vneshkol'noy raboty). Since
1931 he worked at the Mosfilm studio. In 1940-1943 he was an artistic
leader for the Mosfilm films production. In 1942-1947 he was the
director of a theater studio for movie actors. From 1938 he was a
lecturer, from 1948 he was the leader of the actor's-producer
department of the VGIK, professor (from 1962). He influenced many
prominent film-directors, including Andrei Tarkovsky, Grigori
Chukhrai, Vasily Shukshin, Nikita Mikhalkov, Georgi Daneliya,
Aleksander Mitta, Igor Talankin, Rezo Chkheidze, Gleb Panfilov,
Vladimir Basov, Tengiz Abuladze, Elem Klimov and many others.Dream
(Mechta) (1941) starring Faina Ranevskaya and other famous actors is
considered[by whom?] one of the high points of Romm's career. The film
reveals deep spiritual crises, material and spiritual misery of
inhabitants of a hostel titled Dream (Mechta). President Roosevelt
said it was one of the greatest films in the world.
January [O.S. 11 January] 1901 â€" 1 November 1971) was a Soviet film
director.He was born in Irkutsk. His father was a social democrat of
Jewish descent who had been exiled there. He graduated from gymnasium
in 1917 and entered the Moscow College for Painting, Sculpture and
Architecture. From 1918 - 1921, he served in the Red Army during the
Russian civil war, first as a signalman and later rising to the rank
of inspector of a Special Commission concerning the numbers of the Red
Army and Fleet (Russian: ÐžÑ Ð¾Ð±Ð°Ñ ÐºÐ¾Ð¼Ð¸Ñ Ñ Ð¸Ñ Ð¿Ð¾
Ð²Ð¾Ð¿Ñ€Ð¾Ñ Ð°Ð¼ Ñ‡Ð¸Ñ Ð»ÐµÐ½Ð½Ð¾Ñ Ñ‚Ð¸ ÐšÑ€Ð°Ñ Ð½Ð¾Ð¹ Ррмии и
Флота) of the Field Staff of the Supreme Military Soviet of the
Republic (Полевой штаб Ð ÐµÐ²Ð²Ð¾ÐµÐ½Ñ Ð¾Ð²ÐµÑ‚Ð° Ð
ÐµÑ Ð¿ÑƒÐ±Ð»Ð¸ÐºÐ¸). As such he travelled a lot and had the
opportunity to see much of the life in different parts of the country,
something that he later said he "recalled with gratitude".After the
end of his military career, Romm received a scholarship from the
Soviet government. In 1925 he graduated as a sculptor from the class
of Anna Golubkina of the Highest Artistic-Technical Institute and
worked as a sculptor and translator. In 1928-1930 he conducted
research on the theory of cinema in the Institute for the methods of
extra-scholastic work (Institut metodov vneshkol'noy raboty). Since
1931 he worked at the Mosfilm studio. In 1940-1943 he was an artistic
leader for the Mosfilm films production. In 1942-1947 he was the
director of a theater studio for movie actors. From 1938 he was a
lecturer, from 1948 he was the leader of the actor's-producer
department of the VGIK, professor (from 1962). He influenced many
prominent film-directors, including Andrei Tarkovsky, Grigori
Chukhrai, Vasily Shukshin, Nikita Mikhalkov, Georgi Daneliya,
Aleksander Mitta, Igor Talankin, Rezo Chkheidze, Gleb Panfilov,
Vladimir Basov, Tengiz Abuladze, Elem Klimov and many others.Dream
(Mechta) (1941) starring Faina Ranevskaya and other famous actors is
considered[by whom?] one of the high points of Romm's career. The film
reveals deep spiritual crises, material and spiritual misery of
inhabitants of a hostel titled Dream (Mechta). President Roosevelt
said it was one of the greatest films in the world.
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