Directing
Roman Karmen
Born 1906-11-29 · Odessa, Russian Empire
Roman Karmen (1906–1978) was a pioneering Soviet film director, war cinematographer, documentary filmmaker, journalist, screenwriter, pedagogue, and publicist. Born Efraim Leyzorovich Korenman, Karmen became one of the most prominent figures in Soviet cinema, known for his exceptional contributions to war documentation and his ability to capture history in the making. He began his career as a journalist before transitioning to filmmaking, where his early work focused on documenting revolutionary events and political developments. Karmen's most notable contributions were as a war cinematographer during the Spanish Civil War and World War II, where he filmed key moments from the frontlines, including the Soviet Union’s involvement in the Spanish war and the Nazi invasions. He was a close collaborator with Soviet authorities and a key figure in Soviet newsreels, documenting not only the war but also the victories and cultural milestones of the USSR. Karmen’s work was instrumental in shaping Soviet film as a tool for propaganda and national identity, using his camera to amplify the Soviet narrative of heroism, triumph, and unity. He was also involved in film education, teaching at VGIK (All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography) and inspiring future generations of filmmakers. Karmen's legacy as a documentarian is cemented in his works, which captured pivotal moments in Soviet history and continue to serve as an important visual record of the 20th century.
Acting credits
6.0In 1945, two young American soldiers, brothers Budd and Stuart Schulberg, are commissioned to collect filmed and recorded evidence of the horrors committed by the infamous Third Reich in order to prove Nazi war crimes during the Nuremberg trials (1945-46). The story of the making of Nuremberg: Its Lesson for Today, a paramount historic documentary, released in 1948.
Filmmakers for the Prosecution
2023
No synopsis available yet.
Roman Karmen - Un cinéaste au service de la révolution
2002
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Distant and Close Skies
1976
9.0No synopsis available yet.
Our Cinema
1940
NRDocumentary portrait of Dziga Vertov, father of documentary cinema.
World Without a Game
1966
NRThe film is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of Roman Carmen. The authors tracked down his former students, whom he brought to the documentary. Almost half a century ago, they, then still children, first crossed the threshold of the VGIK when they passed the exams.
With Roman Karmen. Travel in the Youth
2006
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Roman Karmen Whom We Do And Do Not Know
1987
Behind the camera
7.0A feature-length documentary based on film reports from the Spanish civil war.
Spain
1939
No synopsis available yet.
Moskva–Karakum–Moskva
1933
NRDocumentary recounting the story of the Cuban Revolution and its impact on the young people of Cuba.
Island Ablazed
1961
NRDocumentary recounting the story of the Cuban Revolution and its impact on the young people of Cuba.
Island Ablazed
1961
NR“The Magic Beam” is a film essay woven together from newsreels and documentary material from different decades, fragments of hundreds of non-fiction and fiction Soviet films of the 1910s-1960s.
The Magic Beam
1963
NR“The Magic Beam” is a film essay woven together from newsreels and documentary material from different decades, fragments of hundreds of non-fiction and fiction Soviet films of the 1910s-1960s.
The Magic Beam
1963
10.0No synopsis available yet.
Sea Conquerors
1959
10.0No synopsis available yet.
Sea Conquerors
1959
8.0Frustration of the German attempt to capture Leningrad, 1941, the besieging of the city.
Leningrad in Struggle
1943
5.7This riveting Russian documentary takes you inside the trials of the notorious German war criminals, brought to trial to account for their actions. The footage includes excerpts from the trials of many of the senior Nazis including Goebels and Goring.
Nuremberg Trials
1946
Made by the highly influential Russian cameraman Roman Karmen, this documentary vividly features Albanian life immediately after the communists came to power in 1944. The film is especially memorable since it’s missing much of the heavy socialist realism that marked Albanian doc making. Shortly after he completed the film, Karmen set off for Berlin to shoot the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany.
Albania
1945
5.5On August 24th of 1940 a group of cameramen cross the immense territory of the Soviet Union before it was attacked by Nazi Germany, and capture multiple aspects of life in this new world.
One Day in Soviet Russia
1941
3.0A story of the exploits carried out by the oil technicians of Baku for the exploitation of the black gold deposit of the Caspian Sea.
The Caspian Story
1953
3.0A story of the exploits carried out by the oil technicians of Baku for the exploitation of the black gold deposit of the Caspian Sea.
The Caspian Story
1953
NRA documentary about Fidel Castro's visit to the USSR from April 28 to June 3, 1963 and how the Cuban leader traveled throughout the Soviet Union for 40 days, from Severodvinsk to Khiva in Uzbekistan.
Guest from the Island of Freedom
1963
NRRoman Karmen's documentary on the political turmoil of 1970s Latin America.
Blazing Continent
1972
NRRoman Karmen's documentary on the political turmoil of 1970s Latin America.
Blazing Continent
1972
NRDocumentary about East Berlin, commemorating 20th anniversary of German Democratic Republic formation.
Comrade Berlin
1969
NRDocumentary about East Berlin, commemorating 20th anniversary of German Democratic Republic formation.
Comrade Berlin
1969
9.0The Spanish Civil War—newsreels filmed by Roman Karmen in 1937–38—was a defining experience: faces at war, privately witnessed trembling moments, the concrete reality of suffering, and indescribable anguish. Those images form the basis of the film, but the work also includes new footage and a diary of Karmen’s journey back to the old locations, accompanied by another great war reporter, the writer Konstantin Simonov.
Grenada, Grenada, My Grenada
1975
NRStory of the First Indochina War (1946-1954) in which Soviet Union has actively supported Vietnamese side.
Vietnam
1955
NRStory of the First Indochina War (1946-1954) in which Soviet Union has actively supported Vietnamese side.
Vietnam
1955
9.0This communist history film recalls the heroism of Soviet soldiers fighting the Nazis in World War II. Forty of the 236 cameramen used for the feature were killed during their mission filming the Red Army.
The Great Patriotic War
1965
9.0This communist history film recalls the heroism of Soviet soldiers fighting the Nazis in World War II. Forty of the 236 cameramen used for the feature were killed during their mission filming the Red Army.
The Great Patriotic War
1965