Alexey Uchitel: biography, personal life, films, photos

On the banks of the Neva

Lesha learned a lot from his father, who took his son with him to filming. When the Senior Teacher had to travel far from home, Alexey went to classes in creative workshops in the Palace of Pioneers, closest to home. At first he was interested in cinematography, and then turned his attention to photography. The guy never thought about choosing a future profession - his father’s example was always before him.

After graduating from school in 1968, Alexey went to Moscow to become a student at VGIK. For himself, he looked not at the prestigious directing department, but at the less popular camera department. This decision was suggested to him by his father, who believed that to become a film director, you must first see the world of cinema through the eyes of a cameraman. On his first attempt, Teacher Jr. was not accepted into the university.

He passed the competitive selection with dignity, but during the interview he heard from the head of the documentary film department a recommendation to first serve in the army. After two years, the meter promised to accept the young man without any exams.

Alexey did not join the ranks of the military, but worked for a whole year as an assistant cameraman at a documentary film studio. The following summer, he again applied to VGIK, overcame the barrier of eight exams and became a student at the camera department . In 1974, with a higher education diploma, Alexey Uchitel returned to his hometown and got a job at a local documentary film studio.

The entry in his work book about being hired at a documentary film studio is the only one so far, although Teacher Jr. has long had his own film studio, “Rock.”

Since 1977, the countdown of documentaries filmed by Alexei Uchitel began. He responded to all important events in the life of the country and released each new film on average two years after the previous one.

The turning point in his career was 1986, when the director, in several film stories under the general title “Rock,” depicted the life of semi-underground musicians who decisively abandoned the format of the Soviet VIA. From the film, viewers learned about the everyday life of Boris Grebenshchikov, Yuri Shevchuk, Viktor Tsoi, and Anton Adasinsky. As Alexey Uchitel later admitted, communication with these legendary people allowed him to become liberated in life and in his work.

The next significant work in Alexey Uchitel’s directorial career was the film “Obvodny Canal.” The Bypass Canal in St. Petersburg is the name given to five kilometers of artificially created waterway, on the banks of which there are various institutions: a theological academy, palaces of culture and three homes for mentally ill people.

When conceiving his film, the director tried to convey to the audience the idea that it is difficult to guess behind which wall the crazy are hidden.

From Giselle to Matilda

In the mid-90s, Alexey Uchitel first turned to feature films. This happened due to a coincidence of certain circumstances. The director intended to make a documentary about the life and fate of the outstanding ballerina Olga Spesivtseva. But by the time filming was completed, the great dancer, who lived a long life, died.

After this tragic event, the Teacher decided to change the concept of his project and make a feature film. He invited Galina Tyunina to play the main role in the film “Giselle Mania”. Despite the fact that the feature film “Giselle Mania” was a debut, it was warmly received by the public and film experts . The work of Alexey Uchitel was awarded prizes at several prestigious film festivals.

Inspired by the success, the director began to consider scripts for other feature films with interest. Together with screenwriter Dunya Smirnova, he made films such as “The Diary of His Wife” and “The Walk.” Then he pleased cinema fans with the drama “Space as a Premonition” and the war film “Prisoner”.

At the moment, film experts consider the drama “The Edge,” which starred Yulia Peresild, Vladimir Mashkov and Anyorka Strechel, to be the pinnacle of Alexei Uchitel’s creativity. The film received several Golden Eagles, was included in one of the Golden Globe nominations and won many other awards.

In 2013, the director turned to the work of Russian writer Zakhar Prilepin , adapting his crime story “The Eight”. The drama of the same name did not cause heated debate among movie fans.

But Alexei Uchitel’s next project, the historical drama “Matilda,” caused heated controversy and indignation even before its release. The director began filming the script, the plot of which revolves around the dancer Matilda Kshesinskaya and the future Emperor Nicholas II. A whole constellation of popular actors worked on the film: Ingeborga Dapkunaite, Danila Kozlovsky, Lars Eidinger, Evgeny Mironov, Mikhalina Olshanskaya, Sergei Garmash.

After the release of the film’s trailer, which included an erotic love scene with the participation of the future emperor, its creators were accused of “distorting historical events” and attributed to them an anti-religious and anti-Russian provocation. The situation was reviewed by the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation, but no violations were found.

In October 2021, the film premiered officially in Russia and Latvia.

Life events

1. In 1969, Alexey entered the VGIK camera department , overcoming a competition of 300 people per place.
2. In 1975, he received his diploma and went home to work at the Leningrad Documentary Film Studio.
3. In 1977, the first film “One Hundred Thousand Ses” . The debut was successful. With enthusiasm, he continued to work.
4. In 1980, Teacher released the documentary How Many Faces Does a Disco Have? . The work was highly appreciated. The director was awarded the Lenin Komsomol Prize.
5. In 1987, Alexey made the film “Rock” about the musicians of the Leningrad rock club in their everyday life. This picture is still interesting to watch today, because the main characters have become legends of rock music - Boris Grebenshchikov, Viktor Tsoi, Yuri Shevchuk.
6. In 1990, Teacher created the Rock film studio. He continued to explore non-format art and released the work “Yoly-paly, or Mitki in Europe . Then he made the film “Obvodny Canal”, dedicated to traveling along the longest canal in St. Petersburg and getting to know the buildings on its banks. After the tragic death of Viktor Tsoi on August 15, 1990, Alexey collected material for the film “The Last Hero,” which premiered only 20 years later.
7. In 1993 he released Butterfly , with the main character – the extraordinary theater director Roman Viktyuk.
8. In 1995 he became an Honored Artist .
9. In 1996, the director's first feature film, Giselle Mania, . The teacher planned to make a documentary about the life of ballerina Olga Spesivtseva, but during filming the main character died. Alexey decided to take a bold step thanks to his collaboration with Dunya Smirnova, who wrote the script and directed her first feature film. The film was well received. The film was nominated for the Nika Award. Awards were received at several foreign film festivals.
10. In 2000, the premiere of the film “The Diary of His Wife” , also based on a script by Dunya Smirnova about the last period in the life of the writer Ivan Bunin. The picture was a great success . Received the main prize of the Kinotavr film festival, three Nika awards, including Best Film. She was nominated for an Oscar.
11. In 2002, the filmmaker became People's Artist of Russia .
12. In 2003, he released the film as director and producer “Walk” based on the script by Dunya Smirnova. The film was a success in cinemas and was popular with viewers, despite the documentary style that Alexey transferred to this work. Awarded the main prize at the Window to Europe festival in Vyborg.
13. In 2005, the film “Space as a Premonition” . The teacher received the Golden Eagle as Best Director, and the film was awarded the main prize at the Moscow International Film Festival.
14. In 2006, the premiere of the film “Communication” starring Anna Mikhalkova and Mikhail Porechenkov. This is another work of the Teacher’s tandem with Smirnova.
15. In 2008, the painting “Prisoner” . The film about the Chechen war received mixed reviews. At the International Festival in Karlovy Vary, Uchitel was awarded the prize for “Best Director” . Alexey produced this and his subsequent films himself.
16. In 2010, the film “The Edge” . One of the most ambitious works of the Teacher as a director and producer. Vladimir Mashkov starred in the title role. The film received 4 Golden Eagle awards, including for best director. The film was presented at the Golden Globe in the category “Best Foreign Film” . The filmmaker becomes president of the International Festival of Documentary, Short and Feature Films “Message to Man” in St. Petersburg.
17. In 2013, the director shot the film “Eight” based on the story by Zakhar Prilepin. In the same year he was awarded the Order of Honor.
18. In 2021, the press received information about the upcoming film “Matilda” , dedicated to the love affair of the last Russian Tsar Nicholas II and the ballerina Matilda Kseshinskaya. Orthodox social activists and some political figures criticized the director and called for the film to be banned. Deputy Natalya Poklonskaya initiated an inspection of the film work. The Prosecutor General's Office did not reveal any violations of the law.
19. The premiere took place in 2021, but was overshadowed by a number of unpleasant incidents . In Yekaterinburg, one of the film’s opponents drove a car into the cinema and set it on fire. No harm done.
20. In 2021, an equally controversial film “Tsoi” . The director made the main character the man who shot down the legendary musician. Tsoi's relatives were against it, but the Teacher considered that personal acquaintance with the musician and many years of documentary work about his life made it possible to show his version of the tragic story. The filmmaker continues to direct the Rock film studio. As part of its activities, not only the director’s films are released, but also debuts in feature and documentary films. Alexey Uchitel is a successful producer. The last bright premiere of his studio in 2021 was the film “Streltsov” with Alexander Petrov in the title role. The famous director is full of creative plans and is preparing new works.

Two wives, four children and a herring under a fur coat

Despite the scandal surrounding “Matilda,” cinema fans are much more active in commenting not on Alexei Uchitel’s latest directorial work, but on his personal life. The director lived in marriage with Kira Saksaganskaya for more than thirty years. This union produced two sons, the youngest of whom, Ilya, also graduated from VGIK and is working on his first films.

Senior Andrey is an economist by training. Kira Saksaganskaya has long been the director’s right hand in film production and to this day runs the Rock film studio on the banks of the Neva.

But in 2021, Alexey Uchitel admitted that he had been having an affair with actress Yulia Peresild for more than ten years. As it turned out, they met on the set of the film “Prisoner” and did not separate after completing work on the project. Moreover, his youngest half, Yulia, gave birth to two daughters: Anna in 2009 and Masha in 2012.

For a long time, Teacher and Peresild hid their relationship, and Alexey Efimovich lived in two families, without breaking off his marriage with Saksaganskaya. As it turned out later, they met on the set of the film “Prisoner” and did not separate after completing work on the project. You can read more about the couple's personal life here.

Since childhood, Alexey Uchitel has been involved in various sports, but football has become his main hobby throughout his life. Recently, playing tennis has helped the director relieve stress and get in good physical shape.

Alexey Uchitel tries not to pay attention to all the scandals surrounding his name. He adequately accepts constructive criticism and is convinced that he will continue to make successful films. She hopes that everything in life will be good for her sons, that Anya will grow up to be a professional dancer, and that Masha will be talked about as the second Maria Sharapova.

Personal life

The director's first wife was Kira Saksaganskaya. Now they do not live together, but they have not officially filed for divorce. Kira works as a producer; she organizes and conducts the international festival “Message to Man”. From this marriage, Alexei Uchitel has a son, Ilya, who was born in 1992. He also continued the director's dynasty and now works with his father.

In the biography of Alexei Uchitel there has always been a place for personal life. There were even legends about his loving nature. The wife, apparently, once accepted this fact and came to terms with it. Otherwise, how to explain her calm attitude towards her husband’s weaknesses.

The second wife (unofficial) of the director was the young actress Yulia Peresild. The age difference between the spouses is 33 years. They have two charming daughters growing up - Anna (2009) and Maria (2012). It is interesting that for a long time the couple hid their relationship, because the director was married all this time, but did not abandon his daughters and took care of their upbringing. Recently, Yuria Peresild and Alexey Uchitel have stopped hiding their relationship, and now the couple attends various events and meetings together.

The director actively stars his second wife in his films. In the film “The Edge”, Julia starred while she was 6 months pregnant. The director did not spare his wife and she was forced to run through the smoke and gunfire with a child in her arms; in one of the takes she even fell. But this is work, and artists know what they go to for the sake of art.

Films by Alexey Uchitel