{{short description|Russian film director (born 1951)}} {{family name hatnote|Yefimovich|Uchitel|lang=Eastern Slavic}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}} {{Infobox person |name=Alexey Uchitel |native_name={{nobold|Алексей Учитель}} |native_name_lang=rus |image=Алексей Учитель на VK Fest 2022 (2).jpg |caption=Alexey Uchitel in 2022 |image_size=250 |birth_name=Aleksei Yefimovich Uchitel |birth_date={{birth date and age|1951|8|31|df=y}} |birth_place= Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now Saint Petersburg, Russia) |death_date= |death_place= |occupation=Film director }}
'''Aleksei Yefimovich Uchitel''' ({{langx|ru|Алексей Ефимович Учитель}}; born 31 August 1951) is a Russian film director.<ref name="ria">{{Cite web|url=https://ria.ru/spravka/20110831/426454825.html|work=RIA Novosti|title=Алексей Ефимович Учитель. Биографическая справка|date=31 August 2011}}</ref> In 2002, he received the title People's Artist of Russia.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://kremlin.ru/acts/bank/17737|publisher=Kremlin|title=Указ Президента Российской Федерации от 14.01.2002 г. № 35}}</ref>
==Life and career== thumb|Uchitel in 2019 Uchitel was born on 31 August 1951 in Leningrad to the family of documentary filmmaker Yefim Uchitel.<ref name="ria"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/tiraspol/gallery.asp?fold=Famous&galini=5|title=Tiraspol: Famous gallery}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.encspb.ru/object/2804030937?lc=en|title = Saint Petersburg encyclopaedia}}</ref>
In 1975, he graduated from VGIK, worked at the Leningrad studio of documentary films.<ref name="ria"/>
In 1990, he founded his film studio "Rock". Uchitel's directorial debut was the film ''Gisele's Mania''.<ref name="ria"/>
In 2000, he received the Nika Award, the Kinotavr Grand Prix<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lenta.ru/news/2001/04/28/nika/|publisher=Lenta.ru|title="Ника": Лучший фильм — "Дневник его жены"}}</ref> and the Crystal Globe nomination for ''His Wife's Diary''. The film was about the last love affair of Ivan Bunin.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.kviff.com/en/programme/film/4217543-his-wifes-diary/|publisher=Karlovy Vary International Film Festival|title=His Wife´s Diary / Dněvnik jego ženy }}</ref>
His 2003 film ''The Stroll'' was entered into the 25th Moscow International Film Festival.<ref name="Moscow2003">{{cite web|url=http://www.moscowfilmfestival.ru/miff34/eng/archives/?year=2003 |title=25th Moscow International Film Festival (2003) |access-date=1 April 2013 |work=MIFF |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130403123906/http://moscowfilmfestival.ru/miff34/eng/archives/?year=2003 |archive-date=3 April 2013 }}</ref> His 2005 film ''Dreaming of Space'' won the Golden George at the 27th Moscow International Film Festival.<ref name="Moscow2005">{{cite web|url=http://www.moscowfilmfestival.ru/miff34/eng/archives/?year=2005 |title=27th Moscow International Film Festival (2005) |access-date=13 April 2013 |work=MIFF |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130403124619/http://moscowfilmfestival.ru/miff34/eng/archives/?year=2005 |archive-date=3 April 2013 }}</ref> In 2006, he was a member of the jury at the 28th Moscow International Film Festival.<ref name="Moscow2006">{{cite web|url=http://www.moscowfilmfestival.ru/miff34/eng/archives/?year=2006 |title=28th Moscow International Film Festival (2006) |access-date=14 April 2013 |work=MIFF |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130421051006/http://www.moscowfilmfestival.ru/miff34/eng/archives/?year=2006 |archive-date=21 April 2013 }}</ref>
His 2010 film ''The Edge'' was selected as the Russian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 83rd Academy Awards<ref name="Russia">{{cite web | title = Russia chooses its Oscar nominee | publisher = The Voice of Russia | url = http://english.ruvr.ru/2010/09/09/19624003.html | access-date = 9 September 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101119051627/http://english.ruvr.ru/2010/09/09/19624003.html | archive-date = 19 November 2010 | url-status = dead }}</ref> but it did not make the final shortlist.<ref name="Oscar Shortlist">{{cite web |url=http://www.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/2011/20110119.html |title=9 Foreign Language Films Continue to Oscar Race |access-date=19 January 2011|work=oscars.org}}</ref>
His film ''Break Loose'' was selected to be screened in the Contemporary World Cinema section at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival.<ref name="TIFF">{{cite web|url=http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/festival/2013/breakloose |title=Break Loose |access-date=18 August 2013 |work=TIFF |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130825063818/http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/festival/2013/breakloose |archive-date=25 August 2013 }}</ref><ref name="Indiewire">{{cite web |url=http://www.indiewire.com/article/toronto-adds-75-titles-to-2013-edition-james-franco-alex-gibney-hayao-miyazaki-sean-durkin-and-kevin-macdonald-among-them?page=2 |title=Toronto Adds 75+ Titles To 2013 Edition |access-date=18 August 2013 |work=Indiewire|date=13 August 2013 }}</ref>
The romantic drama ''Matilda'' directed by Uchitel about the relationship between ballerina Matilda Kshesinskaya and Nicholas II was released on 23 October 2017. The picture became controversial after State Duma deputy Natalia Poklonskaya led a campaign to ban the film on religious grounds.
==Personal life== In 1981, Uchitel married Kira Saksaganskaya. They have a son. The couple separated without formally filing for divorce. For many years, Uchitel had an affair with the Russian actress Yulia Peresild, with whom he has two daughters, Anna (born 2009) and Maria (born 2012).<ref>{{Cite web |title=What Yulia Peresild is silent about: Secrets of the muse and mother of children, director Alexei Uchitel - Art 2023 |url=https://artdesignlog.com/11949707-what-yulia-peresild-is-silent-about-secrets-of-the-muse-and-mother-of-children-director-alexei-uchitel |access-date=2023-04-14 |website=Art design log |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kp.ru/daily/26738/3767134/|publisher=Komsomolskaya Pravda|title=Юлия Пересильд призналась, что родила дочерей от 66-летнего Алексея Учителя|author=Maria Remizova|date=3 October 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The married Aleksey Yefimovich Uchitel met again with Julia Peresild |url=https://news.myseldon.com/en/news/index/267634613 |access-date=2023-04-14 |website=news.myseldon.com|date=27 February 2022 }}</ref> In 2021, Peresild announced that she had broken up with him.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Julia Peresild left from Aleksey Yefimovich Uchitel |url=https://news.myseldon.com/en/news/index/257178893 |access-date=2023-04-14 |website=news.myseldon.com|date=26 August 2021 }}</ref>
==Selected filmography== *''Rock'' (1987) *''Last Hero. Victor Tsoi. '' (1992) *''Gisele's Mania'' (1996) *''His Wife's Diary'' (2000) *''The Stroll'' (2003) *''Dreaming of Space'' (2005) *''Captive'' (2008) *''The Edge'' (2010) *''Break Loose'' (2013) *''Matilda'' (2017) *''Tsoi'' (2020)
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{officialwebsite|url=http://rockfilm.ru/?q=node/7}} * {{IMDb name|id=0879783|name=Alexei Uchitel}} {{Alexei Uchitel}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Uchitel, Alexei}} Category:1951 births Category:Living people Category:Soviet film directors Category:Russian film directors Category:Russian Jews Category:Academic staff of the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography Category:Recipients of the Order of Honour (Russia) Category:People's Artists of Russia Category:Recipients of the Lenin Komsomol Prize Category:Soviet documentary film directors Category:Recipients of the Nika Award Category:Academicians of the Russian Academy of Cinema Arts and Sciences "Nika" Category:Honored Workers of the Arts Industry of the Russian Federation
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