Even before the official release of the long-awaited fourth season of the popular television series Game of Thrones, it became known that a Russian actor would participate in the project for the first time in its existence. Yuri Kolokolnikov got the role of Stir, the leader of the tenn cannibals.
Despite the furor that this news made in the Russian media, only a few fans of the series are aware that another famous person who speaks Russian is directly involved in the creation of the series. Sakharov Alik, who directed two episodes in the new season, was born in Uzbekistan and emigrated to the US many years ago.
Although he did not receive any formal education in the field of cinematography, Sakharov managed to find work in his favorite field. He directed several episodes of prestigious television series such as The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire, Dexter and Game of Thrones.
The start of the journey
According to the man, he was completely unprepared for American life when, in 1981,emigrated to the United States at the age of 22. He did not even speak English, but he was determined to do everything in his power not to stay on the street and earn a living. Sakharov Alik managed to change a dozen jobs, working part-time at a gas station, then as a private cleaner, until he got a permanent job and became a watchmaker.
The director admits that he lacks academic knowledge about cinema, but he was interested in cinema from an early age and reviewed the legendary films of Soviet masters many times, from the classics of Andrei Tarkovsky to the works of Alexander Dovzhenko.
Even in the Soviet Union, Sakharov tried to make amateur films. And in the United States, after earning enough to repair watches to buy the necessary equipment, he began to offer businessmen the services of filming industrial videos. Over time, large companies recognized the talent of the new American, and Sakharov Alik was able to devote all his time to his favorite pastime.
First painting
Industrial videos and commercials faded into the background when Sakharov made his first feature film in 1992. It was a black-and-white silent film "Pause", for which the future master was inspired by the works of Andrei Tarkovsky. Until now, he considers "Pause" his best creation. Assessing Alik's directing skills, HBO invited him to take part in the filming of the television series The Sopranos. This project has made significant progressnewcomer up the career ladder.
Pro tip
What recommendations does Sakharov Alik give to aspiring Russian directors? He believes that the most necessary character trait for working in cinema is modesty. It is important to be able to rise from zero, but at the same time never hope that success will come overnight. You just need to roll up your sleeves and get to work; if you work hard, people will notice; if you have talent, people will see.
As for the English language, Alik Sakharov, the director of many episodes of famous TV series, admits that he still does not speak it at the proper level. He never took lessons and simply learned the language from scraps of conversation. And yet, despite not having the most perfect command of English, Sakharov communicates quite successfully with colleagues and actors.
Creating a legend
Although the director's current project has millions of fans around the world, few know who Alik Sakharov is. "Game of Thrones" is a kind of creation of many hundreds of people involved in cinema, and Alik himself treats the series quite soberly and pragmatically. He acknowledges the uniqueness of the storyline and the epic scope of the narrative, but at the same time reminds journalists every time: "Game of Thrones" is just a great series. At the same time, "Boardwalk Empire" is also a great series. And The Sopranos are just as good.
