Known For
Directing
Born
Nov 29, 1906
Died
Apr 29, 1979
Place of Birth
Odessa, Russian Empire
Credits
39 titles
Roman Karmen
Biography
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.
Known For
Filmography
Filmmakers for the Prosecution
Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
With Roman Karmen. Travel in the Youth
Archive footage
Roman Karmen - Un cinéaste au service de la révolution
self
Roman Karmen Whom We Do And Do Not Know
Archive footage
The Unknown War
Director
Distant and Close Skies
Narrator
Grenada, Grenada, My Grenada
Director
Blazing Continent
Writer
Двадцать пятый сентябрь
Director
Comrade Berlin
Writer
Death of the Commissary
Director
World Without a Game
Self (archive footage)
Cinerama's Russian Adventure
Director
The Great Patriotic War
Director
The Magic Beam
Writer
Guest from the Island of Freedom
Director
To Die in Madrid
Archival Footage Coordinator
Island Ablazed
Director
Sea Conquerors
Director
Great Is My Country
Director
Vietnam
Director
The Caspian Story
Writer
USSR Air Fleet Day
Camera Operator
Nuremberg Trials
Director
Албания
Director
Film Documents of the Atrocities of the German Fascist Invaders
Camera Operator
The Fall of Berlin
Camera Operator
Albania
Director
Majdanek - Cemetery of Europe
Camera Operator
Leningrad in Struggle
Director
Oryol Battle
Additional Photography
To Protect Native Moscow
Camera Operator
One Day in Soviet Russia
Director
China Is Fighting
Director
Our Cinema
(archive footage)
Spain
Director
Spain 1936
Camera Operator
K Sobytijam v Ispanii
Director
Moskva–Karakum–Moskva
Director