Born: 20 April 1929, Klavdino, Leningrad province, USSR, as Vadim Ivanovich Yusov.

Education: VGIK, Moscow [graduated in 1954].

Career: Was chief doph at Mosfilm from 1954-99.

Appeared in the doc's 'Posle Tarkovskogo/After Tarkovsky' [2003, Peter Shepotinnik; ph: Boris Chertkov, Denis Alarkon, a.o.; 59m] & 'Rerberg i Tarkovskiy. Obratnaya storona Stalkera/Rerberg and Tarkovsky. The Reverse Side of 'Stalker'' [2008, Igor Maiboroda; ph: Pavel Lebeshev, Sergei Kozlov, Uri Klimenko, Vadim Alisov, a.o.; 140m].

Awards: Lenin Prize [1980] for 'Karl Marks. Molodye gody'; Venice FF 'Golden Osella' [1988] & 'Nika' Award nom [1989] for 'Chyornyj monakh'; 'Nika' Award [1992] for 'Pasport'; 'Nika' Award [1993] for 'Prorva'; 'Triumph' Award [1994] for the 'Encouragement of the Achievements in Art and Literature'; Special Prize of the President of Russia [2002]; Manaki Brothers International Film Camera Festival 'Life Achievement Award' [2004].

About Andrei Tarkovsky: 'We didn't know each other at school. I had already been working at the Mosfilm studio for a while when he was preparing his diploma film and asked me to work with him. He told me he had watched several films I had photographed and that he would like to work with me on the film 'The Steamroller and the Violin' which was based upon a stage play. At that time I was just finishing my apprenticeship and was beginning to work as an independent cameraman. [...] When we were doing 'Ivan's Childhood' he was young, he had no experience, he didn't know much about the role of the cameraman, the set designer, and also of the director. But I was never his teacher. During the filming of 'Andrei Rublev' we worked together, we searched and studied together. By then we already had certain experience - for us this was an especially interesting time. We searched for truth... I am a cameraman, a technician, thus I can say: "This can be done, I can undertake this assignment." But Tarkovsky frequently could not understand the limitations and this ignorance made him bold - he thought things would be easy to do and he could have very daring ideas, he could invent anything, in total freedom. Namely, thinking up images [visions, imaginary scenes] - this is exactly how we shot. We didn't invent anything, no new film technique, but we did frequently create a kind of new expression. […] It's difficult for me to say which of Tarkovsky's films I like most. Those, however, which I photographed are a unique experience of my life. While studying at the VGIK I only had an illusion of taking part in artistic creation. Thanks to his films I became a real cameraman and I understood what true creation was.'

*****

About 'The Mirror': 'I refused to photograph 'The Mirror'. There were several reasons. Firstly, I worked so much and for so long mainly with Tarkovsky. When the cameraman and the director work together for too long, the cameraman can sometimes feel he is under too strong a pressure from the director, on his own territory, and this isn't good for the film. Working together on one film for a very long time is particularly detrimental to mutual relationships. Pressure and possessiveness lead to weariness. […] Another reason to give up working on 'The Mirror' was my lack of understanding of this screenplay's concept. Of course the screenplay and the film are two different things, but already at the level of the screenplay I saw something important there which I couldn't understand and couldn't accept. […] On top of that the theme of the screenplay contained biographical elements from Tarkovsky's life. I felt the personal expression of the director could turn against the film and against me. I felt that during the preparatory stages Tarkovsky wanted to eliminate my ideas completely, my manner of perception, that he would want to direct only his vision. I thought that would be disadvantageous to me. And the third reason: when the production started, Tarkovsky's life underwent a profound change - the influence of his wife Larissa became too strong. In this situation Tarkovsky went along with the new family life, eliminating the influence of his old acquaintances. That's why I thought I could not do that film.' [From interview with Hiroshi Takahashi in 'The Superior Ritz Cinema', 1992.]

MISCELLANEOUS