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Irina Aktasheva

Irina Aktasheva

Directing

Biography

Irina Aktasheva was born on 6 October, 1931 in Yolatan, Turkmen SSR, USSR. She graduated acting with Sergey Gerasimov and Tamara Makarova at the All-Russian State University of Cinematography, VGIK in Moscow in 1953 where she met director Hristo Piskov, whose partner in the profession and in life she remained until the end of his days. She has worked at the Film Actors’ Theatre in Moscow (1953-1955). After their return to Bulgaria in 1955 the two worked at the Feature Film Studio, to begin with as assistant directors. Irina Aktasheva has one role to her name – Lyudmila in The commander of the detachment (1959) directed by Ducho Mundrov in which she acts opposite Kosta Tsonev. The debut of the two young film directors Poor man’s street (1960), awarded First Prize at the Golden Rose Feature Festival in Varna, heralded the emergence of a new phenomenon in Bulgarian filmmaking. Their first success was followed by another with their second film There is no death (1963). But their third film Monday morning (1966) was banned for 22 whole years – until October 1988. In 1989 it was awarded the Special Prize of the Union of Bulgarian Filmmakers, the Best Actress Award to Pepa Nikolova and the Prize for Cinematography to Dimo Kolarov.

Known For

Avalanche
7.7

A team of climbers are preparing for their new mountain climbing expedition. They are brought together by their mutual love for this dangerous sport, for its challenges. They, however, differ in tempers, in problems and notions of honor and dignity. Already up in the mountain, they are expected to pull themselves together to the full, in order to succumb to the will of the leader and forget about the tensions, accumulated among the members of the team. The team of young mountaineers is scaling a difficult summit, but mid-way they are buried by an avalanche. Caught in the deadly vortex, each of the characters relieves the cherished moments of his or her life. Each character illustrates a separate theme. Nayden has to cope with the problems of leadership. Nikifor is his rival, who is destined to be the perennial number two. The Man ho Is Sensitive to Cold is preoccupied with the subject of friendship. Matters that are typically artist absorb the Poet, The Sculptor and the Cameraman.

Avalanche

1982Movie
Poor Street
7.0

The students Yoshkata and Petar share rooms and wartime privations in a poor man's street. Over a glass of vine, Yoshkata often talks about the stage life of genuine beauty. The student is unaware of the passion with which Vaska, the barmaid at the local pub, burns for him. Petar is a member of an antifascist combat unit. The pupil Katya loves him. Petar carries out a sabotage action and comes home wounded. Yoshkata manages to deceive the Germans who rush into their flat that they have been drinking and playing cards throughout the evening. He saves his friend. However, the secret agent notices the doctor's visits. When the police arrive to arrest Petar, Yoshkata tries to resist them and the agent shoots him dead. Petar goes underground. On the day of the liberation, all the residents of the poor man's street celebrate, and Katya and Petar happily reunited. Vaska is there, too, a baby in her arms, the fruit of her love with Yoshkata...

Poor Street

1960Movie
There Is No Death
6.7

The new supervisor Vasil arrives at the construction site of a dam. Vasil has problems with his men, who mistrust him and reluctantly submit to his perfectionism. He becomes involved with the refreshment bar attendant Lilyana. Vasil, who always wanted children, cannot abandon his childless wife and breaks with Lilyana. When four workers are buried in a tunnel landslide, Vasil makes his way to them and manages to drag them all out, except for Zlatan, a spiteful egocentric, whose legs are caught under a fallen prop. Zlatan begs Vasil to save him, even if it means cutting of his legs. To release the miner's legs Vasil cuts the prop, which is also supporting the roof of the tunnel. Zlatan is rescued. However, Vasil is killed. Since then, the workers say his steps can be heard bellow the dam wall.

There Is No Death

1963Movie