Roman Karmen
Directing
Biography
Roman Karmen (1906–1978) was a pioneering Soviet film director, war cinematographer, documentary filmmaker, journalist, screenwriter, pedagogue, and publicist. Born Efraim Leyzorovich Korenman, Karmen became one of the most prominent figures in Soviet cinema, known for his exceptional contributions to war documentation and his ability to capture history in the making. He began his career as a journalist before transitioning to filmmaking, where his early work focused on documenting revolutionary events and political developments. Karmen's most notable contributions were as a war cinematographer during the Spanish Civil War and World War II, where he filmed key moments from the frontlines, including the Soviet Union’s involvement in the Spanish war and the Nazi invasions. He was a close collaborator with Soviet authorities and a key figure in Soviet newsreels, documenting not only the war but also the victories and cultural milestones of the USSR. Karmen’s work was instrumental in shaping Soviet film as a tool for propaganda and national identity, using his camera to amplify the Soviet narrative of heroism, triumph, and unity. He was also involved in film education, teaching at VGIK (All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography) and inspiring future generations of filmmakers. Karmen's legacy as a documentarian is cemented in his works, which captured pivotal moments in Soviet history and continue to serve as an important visual record of the 20th century.
Known For
A documentary television series of the Nazi-Soviet War, edited from over 3.5 million feet of film taken by Soviet camera crews from the first day of the war, 22 June 1941, to the Soviet entry into Berlin in May 1945.
The Unknown War
Morir en Madrid brings together several papers on the Spanish Civil War and integrates capturing different points of view, intended to represent the continuity of the suffering of the Spanish during the Franco regime. The death of Federico Garcia Lorca, Guernica, the defense of Madrid, the International Brigades, are some of the items comprised in this document.
To Die in Madrid
In 1945, two young American soldiers, brothers Budd and Stuart Schulberg, are commissioned to collect filmed and recorded evidence of the horrors committed by the infamous Third Reich in order to prove Nazi war crimes during the Nuremberg trials (1945-46). The story of the making of Nuremberg: Its Lesson for Today, a paramount historic documentary, released in 1948.
Filmmakers for the Prosecution
This riveting Russian documentary takes you inside the trials of the notorious German war criminals, brought to trial to account for their actions. The footage includes excerpts from the trials of many of the senior Nazis including Goebels and Goring.
Nuremberg Trials
A Soviet documentary chronicling the final assault on Nazi Germany’s capital. More than forty frontline cameramen from the 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian Fronts captured the battle and its aftermath, supplemented with seized German footage. The film records the destruction of Berlin and the symbolic collapse of Hitler’s regime, standing as both a historical chronicle and a work of Soviet wartime cinema.
The Fall of Berlin
No description available.
Our Cinema
No description available.
Moskva–Karakum–Moskva
“The Magic Beam” is a film essay woven together from newsreels and documentary material from different decades, fragments of hundreds of non-fiction and fiction Soviet films of the 1910s-1960s.
The Magic Beam
A story of the exploits carried out by the oil technicians of Baku for the exploitation of the black gold deposit of the Caspian Sea.
The Caspian Story
Documentary recounting the story of the Cuban Revolution and its impact on the young people of Cuba.
Island Ablazed
This Soviet-made film was screened on February 19, 1946 on the 62nd day of the Nuremberg Trial and submitted as evidence relevant to the indictment for "crimes against humanity." The one-hour film with voiceover commentary shows visual evidence of the extermination camps of Auschwitz and Majdanek and appeals to spectators' emotions by emphasizing individual victims. The central argument of the film is that the Germans were the executioners of peaceful Soviet citizens. At the time, it made a very strong impression on both the accused and press. The film is a re-edited compilation of footage collected by the Soviet film team over four years (primarily used for propagandistic ends in wartime Soviet newsreels and documentaries). It was prepared in emergency by the Soviet prosecution team and minister of cinema following the projection of Nazi Concentration Camps presented by the Americans on November 29, 1945.
Film Documents of the Atrocities of the German Fascist Invaders
Filmed immediately after the Red Army liberated the Majdanek concentration camp, this documentary is regarded as the first cinematic record of Nazi genocide. Shot on July 24–25, 1944, it presents stark evidence of atrocities alongside testimony from surviving prisoners representing many European nations, making it one of the earliest films to confront the scale of the Holocaust.
Majdanek - Cemetery of Europe
A feature-length documentary based on film reports from the Spanish civil war.
Spain
Documentary about East Berlin, commemorating 20th anniversary of German Democratic Republic formation.
Comrade Berlin
Documentary portrait of Dziga Vertov, father of documentary cinema.
World Without a Game
No description available.
Sea Conquerors
A documentary about Fidel Castro's visit to the USSR from April 28 to June 3, 1963 and how the Cuban leader traveled throughout the Soviet Union for 40 days, from Severodvinsk to Khiva in Uzbekistan.
Guest from the Island of Freedom
Story of the First Indochina War (1946-1954) in which Soviet Union has actively supported Vietnamese side.
Vietnam
No description available.
Distant and Close Skies
Frustration of the German attempt to capture Leningrad, 1941, the besieging of the city.