Andrei Tarkovsky: An Inflexible Drive for Freedom: Tarkovsky’s Cinema, a Trojan Horse in the Soviet Union (A Comprehensive Cultural Biography) [I+II]

Dr. Rafael Llano S. Álvarez-Pedrosa

ANDREI TARKOVSKY

How did a filmmaker who directed only seven feature films become one of the most revered, analyzed, and fiercely debated figures in movie history?

In this groundbreaking study, acclaimed scholar Rafael Llano delivers an unprecedented exploration of Andrei Tarkovsky’s life and art. Dismantling decades of official Soviet state narratives, the biography reveals how Tarkovsky’s cinema operated as a brilliant, artistic Trojan Horse right under the nose of the USSR regime.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS:

• Unprecedented Research: Built upon an exhaustive collection of interviews, articles, and documents published outside the Soviet Union, many brought together here for the very first time.

• The Full Filmography Scrutinized: A deep dive into the conception, production, and distribution of all seven masterpieces—from his early Soviet triumphs to his final days of exile.

• Intellectual Lineage: Traces how Tarkovsky’s vision connects directly to the titanic Russian traditions of Pushkin, Gogol, Dostoevsky, and Tsvetaeva, as well as the poetic legacy of his father, Arseny Tarkovsky.

ROBERT BIRD

«I have known your magnum opus about Tarkovsky for a long time; it is a very impressive achievement.» (11/01/2020)

The late Robert Bird, Professor of Russian Literature and Film Studies at the University of Chicago, and author of Andrei Tarkovsky: Elements of Cinema.

RAFAEL LLANO

Rafael Llano S. Álvarez-Pedrosa (PhD in Philosophy) is a Professor of Cultural Journalism and Art Criticism at the Complutense University of Madrid. An award-winning researcher, his work on Tarkovsky won the prestigious Círculo de Escritores Cinematográficos Award for Best Critical Contribution. He is also the recipient of the PhotoEspaña National Prize and the Gerardo Diego International Prize for Literary Research.