Avdotya Smirnova

Avdotya Dunya Andreevna Smirnova Russian Авдотья Дуня Андреевна Смирнова born 29 June 1969 Moscow is a Russian film director screenwriter producer TV host and literary critic winner of numerous awards and accolades founder of the charity foundation Vikhod She is a daughter of famous SovietRussian director and actor Andrei Smirnov Avdotya Smirnova was born in Moscow to actors Natalya Rudnaya and Andrei Smirnov Her grandfather Sergey Smirnov was a Soviet writer and historian Smirnova has been interested in cinema since childhood When her father forbade her to enter Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography she went to MSU Philology Department After three years she transferred to GITIS but didnt finish her studies In 198788 Smirnova worked at Mosfilm with Sergei Solovyov in the meantime performing in punkrock band Tupie and contributing to Urlait samizdat magazine At the age of 20 Smirnova married Arkady Ippolitov and moved to Leningrad with him Several years later in 1995 she was invited to Kommersant and emerged as a journalist she contributed to Afisha Vogue Seans and other magazines For some time in the early 2000s she worked as a speechwriter for Union of Right Forces and Anatoly Chubais In 20022014 Smirnova cohosted The School for Scandal with her longtime friend Russian writer Tatyana Tolstaya The program received TEFI award in 2003 in Best Talk Show nomination Smirnova wrote her first screenplay in 1992 Together with Alexei Uchitel she created The Last Hero Russian movie about Kino leader Viktor Tsoi In 1993 she wrote the Butterfly documentary also in collaboration with Uchitel In 1995 Giseles Mania based on Smirnovas screenplay was released In 2000 Alexey Uchitel released His Wifes Diary based on Smirnovas screenplay Smirnova was awarded at The HartleyMerrill International Screening Competition Other movies written by Smirnova are The Stroll 2003 The Connection 2006 Gloss 2007 Fathers and Sons 2008 9th of May Personal Perspective All films met mostly positive responses both by critics and the public The Connection released in 2006 became Smirnovas first experience as a director Her comedy drama Two Days 2011 collected many awards but was much criticized for romanticizing the state officials as one of the protagonists and main hero in the movie was running for governors post In parallel with Smirnovas real life marriage to a topranking state official critics perceived the film as an attempt to whitewash the image of the government employees In 2012 she released Kokoko a movie cowritten with Anna Parmas and directed by Smirnova The tragicomedy about a Russian museum worker brought its main actress Anna Mikhalkova the Best Prize for acting at Kinotavr 2012 and numerous accolades for Smirnova In 2016 Smirnova became one of the directors of the Peterburg only by love cinema almanac a socalled love letter in a movie form to the cultural capital of Russia In 2018 Smirnova released The Story of a Single Purpose The script is based on a true story that happened to 38years old Leo Tolstoy In 2021 Smirnova released Vertinsky an 8series film about prominent Russian chansonnier Alexander Vertinsky