Andrey TarkovskyBright, bright day

This book features previsously unseen pictures of the legendary Russian filmaker Andrey Tarkovsky. The focus of the book is an array of mostly hitherto unseen polaroids from the Florence-based Tarkovsky foundation, which is maintained by the filmaker's son Arseniy Tarkovsky. Taken in Russia and in Italy between 1979 and 1984, the photographs range from romantic landscapes and studied portraits to private shots of the auteurs family and friends, included the distinghuished scriptwriter Tonino Guerra. They demonstrate the singular compositional and visual-poetic ability of this master image-maker. Many of the polaroids created in Russia complement and extend the personal imagery of the film Mirror (1974). Equally rewarding cross-fertilization is apparent in the images that were taken in Italy while he was travelling with Tonino Guerra and preparing Nostalgia (1983). Where does art and life begin ? As this book makes clear, for Tarkovsky there could be no division.