Roman Karmen
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.
Photos
Movies (38)
Filmmakers for the Prosecution
2023 · Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
With Roman Karmen. Travel in the Youth
2006 · Archive footage
Roman Karmen - Un cinéaste au service de la révolution
2002 · self
Roman Karmen Whom We Do And Do Not Know
1987 · Archive footage
Distant and Close Skies
1976 · Narrator
Grenada, Grenada, My Grenada
1975 · Director
Blazing Continent
1972 · Writer, Director
Двадцать пятый сентябрь
1969 · Director
Comrade Berlin
1969 · Writer, Director
Death of the Commissary
1966 · Director
World Without a Game
1966 · Self (archive footage)
Cinerama's Russian Adventure
1966 · Director
The Great Patriotic War
1965 · Writer, Director
The Magic Beam
1963 · Writer, Director
Guest from the Island of Freedom
1963 · Director
To Die in Madrid
1963 · Archival Footage Coordinator
Island Ablazed
1961 · Camera Operator, Writer, Director
Sea Conquerors
1959 · Director, Writer
Great Is My Country
1958 · Director, Writer
Vietnam
1955 · Writer, Director of Photography, Director
The Caspian Story
1953 · Director, Writer, Camera Operator
USSR Air Fleet Day
1952 · Camera Operator
Nuremberg Trials
1946 · Director
Албания
1946 · Director, Director of Photography
Film Documents of the Atrocities of the German Fascist Invaders
1946 · Camera Operator
The Fall of Berlin
1945 · Camera Operator
Albania
1945 · Director
Majdanek - Cemetery of Europe
1944 · Camera Operator
Leningrad in Struggle
1943 · Director
Oryol Battle
1943 · Additional Photography
To Protect Native Moscow
1942 · Camera Operator
One Day in Soviet Russia
1941 · Director, Director of Photography
China Is Fighting
1941 · Director
Our Cinema
1940 · (archive footage)
Spain
1939 · Director
Spain 1936
1937 · Camera Operator
K Sobytijam v Ispanii
1936 · Director
Moskva–Karakum–Moskva
1933 · Director
