Viktor Kossakovsky
Viktor Kossakovsky (; born 19 July 1961) is a Russian documentary filmmaker. Early life. Kossakovsky was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia, at the time Leningrad, U.S.S.R. He began his film career in 1978, working as an assistant cameraman, assistant director, and editor at the Leningrad Studio of Documentaries. From 1986 to 1988, he studied screenwriting and directing at Moscow HCSF. Viktor Kossakovsky became vegetarian during his childhood. Career. Kossakovsky's first released feature was his 1992 documentary "Belovy" / "The Belovs". Subsequent works include his 2002 documentary "Hush!" / "Tishe!" and his 2003 documentary "Russia from My Window" (2003), both made  from footage that Kossakovsky filmed out his bedroom window or on his street in St. Petersburg; and his well-received mediation on the natural wonder of water, "Aquarela" (2018), released in the U.S. by Sony Pictures Classics. In 2011, his documentary "¡Vivan las Antipodas!" was selected as the opening film of the Venice Film Festival.. Awards. In 1993, his first feature, "Belovy" / "The Belovs", won both the VPRO Joris Ivens Award and the Audience Award. Other awards include the Special Jury Award at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam for "Pavel i Lyalya" in 1999, the Documentary Award at the  Edinburgh International Film Festival for Sreda (Wednesday), the Award of Honor at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival for Sreda, the Dok Leipzig Findling Award for "Pavel i Lyala", the True Vision Award at the 2012 True/False Film Festival and the Genziana d'Oro – Gran Premio Città di Trento at the 60th Trento Film Festival (2012)..