Grigori Kozintsev

Grigori Kozintsev, or Григорий Козинцев (22 {O.S. 9} March 1905, Kyiv, Russian Empire — 11 May 1973, Leningrad, USSR) was a Soviet theatrical and film director, screenwriter, and pedagogue. He originated from a Jewish family and later adopted a more "Slavic"-sounding name to avoid antisemitism that prevailed in the Soviet Union: "Grigori Mikhailovich Kozintsev" (Григорий Михайлович Козинцев). Between 1924 and 1947, Kozintsev extensively collaborated with Leonid Trauberg (1902—1990), and they co-wrote and co-directed all movies together. Both directors were notable representatives of the "Soviet montage theory," alongside Sergei Eisenstein, Dziga Vertov, Vsevolod Pudovkin, Aleksandr Dovzhenko, and Lev Kuleshov — a dominating approach in the early USSR film industry that relied heavily on editing. Kozintsev held many professional accolades, including People's Artist of the USSR (1964), and served on the jury of the Moscow International Film Festival several times.