Russia?s movie mother @supost.com

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Date: Thu, Dec 07, 2006, 08:00 AM

Since the time of the Soviet Union, Russia has been a country of great secrecy and oppression. Even now, there is a scandal over the suspicious death of a prominent Russian journalist. However, out of Russia?s oppression also comes Marina Goldovskaya, a revolutionary documentary filmmaker, professor and head of the UCLA documentary film program. To date, Goldovskaya has worked with many of Russia?s most well-known directors, artists and politicians. And in the late 1980s, many say her film ?Soloky Power? contributed to the fall of the Soviet Union. Goldovskaya began making documentary films during the Soviet totalitarian era of the 1960s, a time when filmmaking was not considered a respected profession for women, and government approval was required for every detail of every film. To begin her education, Goldovskaya attended the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography in Moscow, where her father was a founder and well-liked professor. She then started working as a camerawoman at the main television station in Russia. ?I always wanted to make films only about things I understood and felt,? said Goldovskaya in her autobiography. ?And if my heart wasn?t in it, there was no point in doing it. No compromises there.? Goldovskaya began making her own television programs and films and realized how difficult it was to create a piece that appealed to and was approved by the strict Soviet government. Much of her footage could never be used or had to be cut because it had content the authorities considered to be too depressing or too individualistic. The restrictions proved difficult for Goldovskaya?s independent way of thinking, but looking back, she has a positive outlook on the difficulties she faced because of the volatile living environment of her country. ?Not many people are lucky enough to live through times of change in a political system,? she said. Goldovskaya grew up among famous filmmakers in an apartment building in Moscow and always knew she was interested in pursuing filmmaking as a profession. However, she was also encouraged to pursue teaching as well. ?My father said, ?You must have two jobs. (Filmmaking) is not a profession for a woman. You will always be traveling and your husband will not like it. You will have problems making your way in the profession because men will always be in your way,?? Goldovskaya said. Goldovskaya taught as a tenured professor at Moscow University for 28 years and was a visiting professor at UC San Diego, Vassar College and California State University, Northridge, before becoming a full-time professor at UCLA in 1995. ?I was very excited to be invited to teach at one of the best universities in the United States,? Goldovskaya said with a smile across her face. ?I felt I could do something new with my life. It was a very good feeling,? Goldovskaya said. The professor is quite fond of her students, and the affection is mutual. Students can hardly help from filing in and out of her office during office hours. Although she has devoted much of her time to teaching aspiring UCLA student filmmakers over the past 10 years, Goldovskaya continues to make films and television programs, including ?The Shattered Mirror? (1992), ?The Prince is Back? (1999) and her newest project, which explores the life of anti-Stalinist writer Anatoly Rybakov, ?Anatoly Rybakov: The Russian Story.? The film recently premiered at the International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam to critical acclaim. Recently, she also published an autobiography titled ?Woman with a Movie Camera.? ?(Goldovskaya?s book is) a treasure of the heartfelt experiences depicting exactly what it is to be a documentary filmmaker,? said Albert Maysles, a pioneering American documentary filmmaker himself. His credits include ?What?s Happening! The Beatles in the USA? (1964) and ?Meet Marlon Brando? (1966), among many others. Goldovskaya?s autobiography is an incredible story of a woman who broke gender barriers and exceeded everyone?s expectations, despite living in one of the most restrictive countries in the world at that time. ?I have always felt that it was my duty to record my country in times of trouble,? Goldovskaya said. ?I know that time passes and the memories could be gone.? <a href='; target='_blank'>;