Gennadi Poloka


Gennadi Ivanovich Poloka was a Soviet and Russian film director, screenwriter, producer and actor. People's Artist of Russia. IV Class Order "For Merit to the Fatherland".

Early years

Gennadi Poloka was born in Kuybyshev. His family name comes from his Slovak great-grandfather who left Austria-Hungary for the Russian Empire just before the start of the World War I, saving from ethnic cleansing of Slavs. Poloka commented on his ethnicity: «I come from a multinational family: there were Poles, Germans, Ukrainians... I have a strange surname. Every time I arrive in some country, there's always a question at the press-conference about my ethnicity. But I have a straight answer: «I am Russian». I really love Russia and can't live more than ten days abroad». Poloka decided to become a film director since the age of 10, after he saw The Great Waltz. He survived the war in evacuation in Novosibirsk, together with his mother.

Education

After the end of war Poloka tried to enter director's courses, but was rejected for being too young. From 1947 to 1951 he studied at the M.S. Schepkin Higher Theatre School, actor's lab. In 1957 he graduated from VGIK, finally becoming a film director.

Career

Poloka started his career in cinematography in 1956. He directed several documentary films and worked as an assistant director with Grigori Aleksandrov, Mikhail Romm, Boris Barnet and others. In 1962 a children's movie Kapron Fishnet was released, co-directed by Poloka and Levan Shengeliya. Four years later he directed his first independent feature – The Republic of ShKID based on the acclaimed children's novel by two former orphans. It became one of the leaders of the Soviet box office in 1967. Between 1967 and 1968 Poloka worked on Intervention based on the drama of the same name by Lev Slavin. It was not released for political reasons until 1989.
Poloka later worked in various genres: adventure film, comedy-romance, criminal comedy and adventure comedy, which Poloka also wrote and produced. Between 1976 and 1980 he worked at Studio Ekran as the head of the Musical Films Studio department. In 1996 he was awarded a prize by the presidential council film festival Kinotavr. In addition, he appeared in films as an actor.

Death

Gennadi Poloka died at the age of 84 in Moscow in 2014. He was buried at Vagankovo Cemetery. He was survived by his wife Olga and two daughters, Natalia and Veronika.

Selected filmography

YearEnglish TitleOriginal TitleNotes
1962Kapron FishnetКапроновые сетиCo-director with Levan Shengeliya
1965FuryЯростьActor
1966The Republic of ShKIDРеспублика ШКИДDirector
1968InterventionИнтервенцияDirector
1969Castling LongРокировка в длинную сторонуActor
1970One of UsОдин из насDirector
1972The Prince and the PauperПринц и нищийActor
1974One at OnceОдиножды одинDirector
1980Our MissionНаше призваниеDirector, screenwriter
1989Was There Karotin?А был ли Каротин?Director, screenwriter
1996The Return of the BattleshipВозвращение «Броненосца»Director, producer, screenwriter, actor
2010An Eye for an EyeОко за окоDirector, screenwriter