Nikita Mikhalkov

He was born in Russia. He studied at the state film school VGIK. He quickly established himself as one of the most promising Russian directors. Fame and recognition came with At Home among Strangers. A biopic about a silent movie star Slave of Love, An Unfinished Piece for a Player Piano, and A Few Days in the Life of I.I.Oblomov were praised for technical brilliance.?? He often starred in his films and occasionally appeared in other directors’ movies. His films never went unnoticed at prestigious European film festivals and earned him numerous awards. His Stalin era drama Burnt by the Sun was overshadowed by Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction at Cannes but won an Oscar for the Best Foreign Film. Because of his controversial political views he fell from public favor in the late 1990s.