Alexander Naumovich Mitta (Russian: Алекса́ндр Нау́мович Митта́; 28 March 1933 – 14 July 2025) was a Soviet and Russian film director, screenwriter and actor.
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Life and career
Alexander Naumovich Rabinovich (Russian: Рабино́вич) was born on 28 March 1933. He studied engineering (graduated in 1955), then worked as a cartoonist in art and humour magazines. In 1960 Mitta graduated at the film directing faculty of the VGIK.
Mitta's career as film director and screenwriter spanned from the 1960s until the 2010s. Among the movies are Shine, Shine, My Star (1970) about actors trying to survive and work during the time of the Russian revolution or the high-budget catastrophe movie Air Crew (1979). For his work Mitta obtained numerous awards in the Soviet Union and Russia.
In 1980, Mitta was a member of the jury at the 30th Berlin International Film Festival.
Mitta supported the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014, even though he also noted that he did not like that it served as a distraction for many from other problems Russia was facing.
Mitta died on 14 July 2025, at the age of 92.
Filmography
Director
1961: My Friend, Kolka!
1962: No Fear, No Blame
1965: They're Calling, Open the Door
1969: Shine, Shine, My Star
1972: Dot, Dot, Comma...
1974: Moscow, My Love
1976: How Czar Peter the Great Married Off His Moor
1979: Air Crew
1982: The Story of Voyages
1988: A Step
1991: Lost in Siberia
2000: The Border. Taiga Romance
2002: Red-hot Saturday
2004: Swan Paradise
2013: Chagall — Malevich
Actor
1967: July Rain as Vladik
1998: Trial by Fire as Captain II
2010: The House of the Sun as exhibition visitor
Film school
In the 2000s Mitta opened a film school.