Andrei Konchalovsky, born Andrei Sergeyevich Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky, is an acclaimed Russian film and theatre director, screenwriter, and producer. His career took off in the Soviet Union, where he gained recognition for his collaboration on the screenplay for Andrei Tarkovsky's *Andrei Rublev* and for directing works such as *The First Teacher* (1965) and *Uncle Vanya* (1970). In the 1980s, he moved to the United States, directing internationally successful films such as *Runaway Train* (1985), which earned three Academy Award nominations, and the blockbuster *Tango & Cash* (1989). Upon returning to Russia, he has created works of great artistic and historical depth, receiving numerous awards at the Venice Film Festival: he has won two Silver Lions for Best Director for *The Postman's White Nights* (2014) and *Paradise* (2016), and two Grand Jury Prizes for *House of Fools* (2002) and *Dear Comrades!* (2020), confirming his status as a master of contemporary cinema.