Victor Kossakovsky is an innovative documentary filmmaker who has been honoured with more than 100 awards at national and international festivals. His singular filmography covers many different subjects, but always explores the interplay of reality and poetic moments.

He began his film career at the Leningrad documentary studio as a camera assistant, assistant director and editor in 1978. He studied screenwriting and directing at Moscow HCSF in 1986-1988. In 1989 he directed his first film, Losev, and in 1992 his most famous documentary, The Belovs, which won the VPRO Joris Ivens Award, the Audience Award at IDFA and dozens of other prizes at international festivals around the world. In 2011, Vivan Las Antipodas! was chosen as the opening film of the Venice Film Festival.

On many of his films, as with Aquarela, Kossakovsky has been director, editor, cinematographer and writer at the same time. He continues as a teacher and mentor to aspiring filmmakers and documentary makers worldwide. Gunda, produced by Joaquin Phoenix, is his latest film, premiered at the Berlinale 2020.