Izya Abramovich Gershtein (Russian ÃÂֈÃÂñÃÂðüþòøàÃÂõÃÂÃÂÃÂõùý; born on 22 June 1923 in Kiev, USSR â 13 February 2013 in Haifa, Israel) was a notable Kyrgyz Soviet documentary filmmaker, cameraman and director. People's Artist of Kyrgyz SSR, Honoured Culture Worker of Kyrgyz SSR (1974), Lenin Komsomol Prize Laureate.
In 1941 and 1942 he worked as a technician at the Aktyubinsk power plant. In 1942 became an assistant cameraman at the Frunze "Sibtechfilm" news and documentary film studio.
Later in 1942 he started working at the Kyrgyzfilm studio, eventually becoming a director. Directed (and often wrote the screenplays) the following documentary films (a short list) "Right flank man" (Russian ëÃÂÃÂðòþÃÂûðýóþòÃÂùû) (1960), "Three answers for the mountains" (Russian ëâÃÂø þÃÂòõÃÂð óþÃÂðüû) (1963), "Shift" (Russian ëáüõýðû) (1964), "Boomerang" (Russian ëÃÂÃÂüõÃÂðýóû) (1965), "There, past the mountains, lies the horizon" (Russian ëâðü, ÷ð óþÃÂðüø, óþÃÂø÷þýÃÂû) (1966), "Cape of the bay runner" (Russian ëÃÂÃÂàóýõôþóþ ÃÂúðúÃÂýðû) (1966), "Chingiz Aitmatov" (Russian ëçøýóø÷ ÃÂùÃÂüðÃÂþòû) (1968), "Pamir â the roof of the world" (Russian ëÃÂðüøàâ úÃÂÃÂÃÂð üøÃÂðû) (1969), "A happy man" (Russian ëáÃÂðÃÂÃÂûøòÃÂù ÃÂõûþòõúû) (1972), "Why the reward?" (Russian ëÃÂð ÃÂÃÂþ ÿÃÂõüøÃÂ?û) (1973), "Sheepherders" (Russian ëçðñðýÃÂû) (1977), "Farewell, windmill" (Russian ëÃÂÃÂþÃÂðù, üõûÃÂýøÃÂðû) (1978), "Four portraits" (Russian ëçõÃÂÃÂÃÂõ ÿþÃÂÃÂÃÂõÃÂðû) (1979), "For sale to demolish" (Russian ëÃÂÃÂþôðÃÂÃÂÃÂàýð ÃÂûþüû) (1982; Winner of the Oberhausen International Short Film Festival prize, 1983) and others.
His work is characterized by a sharp journalistic vision and an expressive editing style.
Emigrated to Israel in the second half of the 1990s.
Gershtein died on 13 February 2013, in Haifa, Israel.
Most notable works