The name of the People’s Artist of the Russian Federation, director, screenwriter and producer Shakhnazarov Karen Georgievich is familiar not only to Russian viewers, but also to foreign ones. Many of his films have already become classics, and for sure many will still become imperishable examples of cinema art.
Karen was born in 1952 in Krasnodar, in the family of a descendant of Armenian aristocrats - princes Melik-Shakhnazaryanov and a Russian Muscovite. All the childhood of the future director was spent in Moscow, constantly surrounded by famous people of that time - politicians and artists who came to visit their parents.
Such an environment prompted the boy to choose a creative profession, and he decided to become an artist. However, over time, he changed his mind and entered the VGIK for directing. He was in good standing with teachers, and early began to assist in the filming.
Karen’s creative biography was briefly interrupted by service in the army, in intelligence, and only after that he began independent work of the director.
Movie career
His first film, “The Kind” (1979), went unnoticed. However, the following year, according to his script, the film "Ladies Invite Cavaliers" was shot, and he was successful. But Shakhnazarov saw himself not as a screenwriter, but as a director, and his desire was realized in 1983, when the film "We Are From Jazz" was released on the screens of the country. Shakhnazarov gathered such a magnificent team of actors, rallied them so that it turned out not a film, but "just a song." Igor Sklyar, Borislav Brondukov, Alexander Pankratov-Cherny, Evgeny Evstigneev made this film the best picture of the year in the USSR.
After this film, the director released a whole clip of film masterpieces: "Winter Evening in Gagra", "City of Zero", "Regicide", "Dreams".
In the new century, the paintings "American Daughter", "Horseman named Death", "Chamber No. 6", "Anna Karenina" and others were shot.
In 1998, Shakhnazarov had to become the General Director of Mosfilm, and he did a lot to ensure that this organization had a state status, did not pass into private hands. He managed to achieve this.
Among other things, Karen Georgievich is a public figure. He not only speaks in popular talk shows on television, but is engaged in specific matters: he was a member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, a member of the People’s Headquarters, an authorized representative of the EP party, and also an authorized representative of the President in the 2018 elections.
Karen Georgievich has many awards, including the Order of Alexander Nevsky, the Order of Merit to the Fatherland, the Order of Honor. He is also the winner of several State Prizes and many awards in the field of cinema.
