Bright, Bright Day

Book excerpt: Here is a lavishly produced book of previously unseen photographs by the legendary Russian filmmaker Andrey Tarkovsky (1932-1986). The focus of the book is an array of mostly hitherto unseen polaroids from the Florence-based Tarkovsky Foundation, which is maintained by the filmmaker's son Arseniy Tarkovsky. Taken in Russia and Italy between 1979 and 1984, the photographs range from romantic landscapes and studied portraits to private shots of the auteur's family and friends, including the distinguished scriptwriter Tonino Guerra. They demonstrate the singular compositional and visual-poetic ability of this master image-maker. Many of the polaroids created in Russia complement and extend the personal imagery of the film Mirror (1974). Equally rewarding cross-fertilization is apparent in the images that were taken in Italy while he was travelling with Tonino Guerra and preparing Nostalgia (1983).