Film Stalker

The film Stalker  by Soviet director Andrei Tarkovsky (1932–1986), based on the story “Roadside Picnic” by the Strugatsky brothers, was immediately a cult favorite, but, although not officially banned, it was not shown in the central cinemas, despite its prestigious awards from international film festivals.
It was shot over 3 years, with huge challenges. Two years of work was completely destroyed when the film was improperly developed. The film was re-shot, and the entire script was rewritten the same way. Tarkovsky was an uncompromising and tough director. The Strugatsky brothers managed to convince him only once: not to leave a scene in the film, the repeated crossing of a dead armored vehicle convoy across a dilapidated bridge. This convoy is in the game S.T.A.L.K.E.R. (#97) – standing, stuck on the bridge, the dead “Urals”, ZILs, and armored personnel carriers.

The film Stalker.

Many consider this film to be prophetic, because in many respects it anticipated the future: the deadly Forbidden Zone and stalkers, penetrating into it at their own peril and risk. The film had a significant impact not only on Soviet filmmaking, but also on world cinema; it is in the top 250 films on IMDb, ranking 206th (as of January 11, 2019).

This article was published in the book Interesting Chernobyl.
You could download this book in PDF file for free here.

© Sky Horse Publishing House (Kyiv) / Nahs Haus, 2019
Copying and publication of this article is possible only with the written permission of the publishing house.
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