Akira Kurosawa recounting the unforgettable experience of watching Solaris with Andrei Tarkovsky:
“Andrei Tarkovsky was sitting in the corner of the screening room watching Solaris with me, but he got up as soon as the film was over and looked at me with a shy smile. I said to him, ‘It’s very good. It’s a frightening movie.’ He seemed embarrassed but smiled happily. Then the two of us went to a film union restaurant and toasted with vodka. Tarkovsky, who does not usually drink, got completely drunk and cut off the speakers at the restaurant, then began singing the theme of Seven Samurai at the top of his voice. I joined in, eager to keep up. At that moment, I was very happy to be on Earth.”
Today’s Victory Day, marking the defeat of Nazi Germany, we remember one of the most famous moments from newly liberated Berlin.
The video shows Lydia Spivak, a young Red Army woman, dancing and directing traffic in front of the Brandenburg Gate.