The Cranes Are Flying is a masterfully filmed love story set during World War II: a young couple is separated when the Germans invade the Soviet Union. He enlists and goes to the front, but what does the war mean for those left behind?
Palme d'Or Winner at Cannes 1958. Director Mikhail Kalatozov sets aside propaganda to focus on individual emotions, making this film about a tragic love story during World War II unique in Soviet cinema. His innovative film techniques, featuring surprising camera angles, paved the way for young avant-garde filmmakers like Marlen Khutsiev and Andrei Tarkovsky. The film became a classic, thanks in part to the superior cinematography by cameraman Sergey Urusevsky in the widescreen format Sovscope. Digitally restored by Mosfilm.