Grigori Chukhrai
Grigori Chukhrai (1921–2001) was a Soviet director, one of the most internationally celebrated figures of the so-called Thaw generation of Soviet cinema. He served in airborne troops during the Second World War before training at VGIK in Moscow. His features brought Soviet war and youth themes to international audiences with unusual freshness. His acclaimed films include The Forty-First, Ballad of a Soldier, Clear Skies, There Was an Old Man and His Wife, and Memory.