Paul Klushantsev’s space – in the Presidential Library

The regular meeting of the Presidential Library Cinema Club will be held on April 13, 2015 at 15:00 and timed to the Day of Cosmonautics. It will demonstrate and discuss a legendary film by Paul Klushantsev, "The Road to the stars" and a film of Alexei Tkal’ about an outstanding director, "Paul Klushantsev - to the stars!"

Paul Klushantsev was the first in the world to combine popular science film with science fiction, initiating the genre of sci-fi newsreel. Cinematic techniques used by him in the film "The Road to the stars" (1957), were later adopted by a number of other directors, including Stanley Kubrick and George Lucas. They believed the Soviet director to be their teacher.

In 1930, Klushantsev graduated from the camera department, Photo and Cinema College in Leningrad. In 1934, he started working at Lenfilm. In 1937, he founded the combined shot studio, invented a number of innovative techniques.

Back in the prewar period, Klushantsev got interested in the works of Tsiolkovsky, and had an idea to make films about space. But the war began and in the evacuation the director worked at the "Sibtehfilm" studio starring military training films. There too he used the special effects he had invented - in the film for the gunners “Shooting on ricochet" Klushantsev showed the flight of the projectile from the gun barrel to the target screen by screen.

After the war, Klushantsev came to work at the Leningrad studio of popular science films. In 1951, his film "Universe" made in the genre of science fiction became the first popular science film awarded prizes at prestigious international film festivals – Award of the VII International Film Festival in Karlovy Vary and diploma of the IV International Film Festival in Paris.

In 1957, in the movie "The Road to the stars" Klushantsev developed his trademark style of presentation. He combined there a popular science film, a documentary and a science fiction. In 1962, Paul Klushantsev shot his famous "Planet of storms" inspired by the novel of Alexander Kazantsev of the same name. The film was not recognized by critics. However, 28 countries acquired distribution rights.

At a meeting of the Presidential Library Cinema Club, the viewing of "The Road to the stars" will be followed by the demonstration and discussion of the film about Klushantsev himself shot by his disciple Alexei Tkal’.

The meeting will be held in the multimedia hall of the Presidential Library at 3, Senate Square.

Please confirm your attendance by tel.: 305-16-35; 8-921-594-16-13

or e-mail to: smolina@prlib.ru - Elena Smolina.

Accreditation for the media representatives is until 15.00, April 10:

press service of the Presidential Library: Natalia Korkonosenko, korkonosenko@prlib.ru, tel.: (812) 305-16-21, ext. 265, mob. +7 (921) 427-86-48.

The letter must specify the name, date and place of birth, full passport details (series, number, where, by whom and when issued), place of registration, the equipment to be used, contact numbers.

Please note that the entrance to the Presidential Library for the media representatives is available through the entrance N 2 only upon showing the passports.