Andrey Tarkovsky the genius of modern Russian cinema-hailed by Ingmar Bergman as the most important director of our time-died an exile in Paris in December 1986 In Sculpting in Time he has left his artistic testament a remarkable revelation of both his life & work Since Ivan's Childhood won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 1962 the visionary quality & totally original & haunting imagery of Tarkovsky's films have captivated serious movie audiences all over the world who see in his work a continuation of the great literary traditions of nineteenth-century Russia Many critics have tried to interpret his intensely personal vision but he himself always remained inaccessible In Sculpting in Time Tarkovsky sets down his thoughts & his memories revealing for the first time the original inspirations for his extraordinary films-Ivan's Childhood Andrey Rublyov Solaris The Mirror Stalker Nostalgia & The Sacrifice He discusses their history & his methods of work he explores the many problems of visual creativity & he sets forth the deeply autobiographical content of part of his oeuvre-most fascinatingly in The Mirror & Nostalgia The closing chapter on The Sacrifice dictated in the last weeks of Tarkovsky's life makes the book essential reading for those who already know or who are just discovering his magnificent work