My most favourite film always was and there is �Rokko and his brothers� Lukino Visconti. On the second place in a personal rating I put �The Ballad about the soldier� Grigory Chuhraja who, by the way, was hudrukom my debut work. In �the Romance about enamoured� A.S.Mihalkogo I have fallen in love at once and irrevocably.
In the Moscow bookshop I have casually seen Andrey Sergeevicha''s book. It at it was the first, and was called: �a plan Parabola�. With two copies of the book I have rushed off on "Mosfilm" to receive the autograph, and at the same time to get acquainted with the known film master. I already studied in VGIKe at S.A.Gerasimov, but it was very interesting to me to visit on shootings "Sibiriady", which at full speed pavilions "Mosfilm".
Andrey Sergeevicha always had an original habit: anywhere and everywhere to be detained. The film crew and actors waited for it as the well-known surgeon or the outstanding politician � it is constant someone somewhere called, found out a movement route across Moscow the eminent director. I have listened to conversations: all discussed its person and creativity, the film crew has been sincerely enamoured in the director, on other subject I did not hear conversations. The creative discipline in a film crew was not simply iron, but steel, highly professional second directors cared of it.
I "has stopped" Andrey Sergeevicha at an input in pavilion. Having seen in my hands just the book which has left in circulation, Andrey Sergeevich was delighted, as the child, has listened to me. I was presented and have declared, that I wish to happen at it on shootings to study in director''s craft. In the answer I have heard, that it, certainly, supports my initiative supposedly certainly, it is necessary to study at the one who in you to liking, as the teacher. At the same time Andrey Sergeevich has cautiously taken an interest, whether I to it can present the second copy? Both of us were happy the friend with the friend: I have received the desired autograph, and the author of the book � the first reader''s copy. It was authorised to me to call to it home at any time, and the constant admission on shootings has been then issued, I also have acquired the right to set to be absolutely near with Andrey Sergeevichem and to observe, how it works with actors. Now, it is a lot of years later, I have understood, that Andrey Sergeevich has not realised to the full the teacher''s talent, that it always required pupils because, despite imenitost and popularity, he, probably, always felt smack of loneliness of the existence in motion picture arts � It hurried up and hastened to make in art more and more. Andrey Sergeevich never was ill with "star" illness, on the contrary, was strict and self-critical to itself and the cinemas-shows-theatrically-opera to works. It was not irritated, when during shootings behind a door of its pavilion the crowd of the Soviet and foreign reporters expected, he has allowed me, first-year student VGIKa to be it, probably, the first pupil. To behave and the emotions in hands to it congenital intelligence helped!
I tried to call to it home, but, as a rule, it never it appeared at home, it is literally time to two me it was possible to agree with it by phone about meetings. The tube was taken always by its wife-Frenchwoman. It covered me with a clumsy Russian floor-mat, complained, that itself months does not see the husband and has no its possibility to love, that Andrey Sergeevich is necessary to all and always to everybody, only not to it. I reported on these conversations on Andrey Sergeevichu, that laughed loudly, and spoke: �Nonsense! Do not take in a head! You call, call!�
About possibility of meetings with Andrey Sergeevichem I learnt from the second directors or from mass-media. I remember, how I waited for it at an input in a cinema building where there passed �the Moscow international film festival� which structure of jury included A.S.Mikhalkov. I knew, how its car looks and knew number avto. When Andrey Sergeevich approached on a cinema late for meeting of jury, I put to it the or someone''s next film script, Andrey Sergeevich braided it in a tube and threw in car showroom, promising by all means to esteem. We together with it jogged, exchanged news �
Somehow A.S.Mikhalkov has bought the new car, and I have slightly become puzzled. On "Mosfilm" has come to Nikita Sergeevichu Mikhalkov, it was presented by pupil Andrey Sergeevicha and has asked to inform me number new avto his brother. Nikita Mikhalkov has made eyes a x-ray picture of my person and my soul. Both of us were good actors and colleagues by a trade. Nikita Sergeevich has told to me new number of the car, I left an office of the future film inhabitant of heaven.
On a set Andrey Sergeevich was the master on all hands: both the director, and the operator, and the artist. It built to plastic of the frame of actor''s, camera and art components. However actor''s director Andrey Sergeevich was not. I will give an example: on shootings "Sibiriady" Michael Kononov for some reason could not achieve the mood necessary to its character. Andrey Sergeevicha''s helps did not help the actor. Rehearsal lasted infinitely long. It was interesting to me, whether Andrey Sergeevich to Michael Kononovu can help to achieve art result? Alas, at Kononova anything good it was impossible, can, has not slept, can, has drunk that before shooting? Andrey Sergeevich has accepted solomonovo the decision � shootings including have decided Michael Kononova to transfer for other day. At me has flickered in a head: �Eh, Andrey Sergeevich, you do not possess Stanislavsky''s system to the full ��
Once and A.S.Mihalkogo had on shootings a nervous breakdown. Whether the outstanding film director or what happens in his soul has not slept? The pavilion represented a shed with straw armfuls on a floor and live hens stamping on straw. Andrey Sergeevich has asked to concentrate and mount group in pavilion silence. The film crew has become silent, all began to wait, what will occur further? After some minutes Andrey Sergeevich has loudly repeated the request. Still hardly later the same, but is even louder. And suddenly Andrey Sergeevich has jumped from the director''s armchair and in fury has cried: �S.uki! B. di! Stamp, as elephants!�
Not so necessary for shooting of this scene workers of a film crew have immediately evaporated from pavilion. To me both second directors have jumped up and have required to leave pavilion. �Is not present! Andrey Sergeevich has allowed me, let personally he and expels me�. Directors from me were unhooked. Andrey Sergeevich has approached to actors and has started something to discuss with them. I, on tiptoe, have approached to them, began to listen attentively what interpret? After some minutes Andrey Sergeevich has noticed my presence and has slightly smiled to me.
In cinema there is an opinion, that film direction � the wolf trade. Who-who, but Andrey Sergeevich Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky never was a wolf at cinema. Most likely, it was a lion. Strong, mighty, and � improbably lonely. He could not be understood up to the end. In its person and its film masterpieces always there was an originality, unpredictability, secret, a riddle. It seems to me, that Andrey Sergeevich searches till now for the mission in art and sense of the life.
I heard, that the last years Andrey Sergeevich in panic is afraid of death. And that, as a matter of fact, to be afraid of it? The person simply comes back there where already was earlier where all is well familiar to it. It is better and more useful to think and recollect, and whether you at least have made one person happy? Whether you have helped whom? Whether also you have helped all, to whom had possibility to help? Human kind memory - the immortality warranty in these and other worlds. The person never chooses a straight line, is eternal it somewhere brings, the person wanders, winds on a life, and, in an old age, as a rule, comes back in the irreal world of the childhood where persistently and in vain looks at the faces of kiddies, trying among them to find itself, young, ideal, complete hopes and noble purposes...
The parabola is not a straight line to you!