About Stalker

Stalker is a 1979 Soviet science fiction art film directed by Andrei Tarkovsky, with a screenplay written by Boris and Arkady Strugatsky. The film is loosely based on their novel Roadside Picnic. The film depicts an expedition led by a figure known as the 'Stalker', who takes his clients to a site known simply as the 'Zone', where supposedly their deepest desires can be fulfilled. The film combines elements of science fiction with dramatic philosophical and psychological themes.

Making / Production

The production of Stalker, like many of Tarkovsky's films, was plagued by difficulties and setbacks. Production started and stopped over several years, resulting in an arduous shooting schedule. The film was shot on location in Estonia, and several of the original film negatives were destroyed in a lab accident, requiring scenes to be re-shot. Tarkovsky insisted that the film was worth the challenges, stating the film had a spiritual, if not religious, dimension.

Actors

• Alexander Kaidanovsky as the Stalker - a deeply spiritual and philosophically minded guide through the Zone.
• Anatoli Solonitsyn as the Writer - one of Stalker's clients who hopes the Zone will reignite his creativity.
• Nikolai Grinko as the Professor - a scientist who accompanies the Writer and Stalker into the Zone.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• It was Tarkovsky's second feature film after his renowned film Solaris.
• The film was initially shot on Kodak color film, but much of this footage was damaged due to lab errors. It was then re-shot using Soviet produced film stock.
• The sluggish economy and bureaucracy of the Soviet system significantly delayed the production.

Awards

No information about awards received for this film is available.

Quotes

• "We are all unhappy because we don't know what we want."
• "There is no death... but I'm afraid of it."

• The film's score was composed by Eduard Artemyev, who had previously collaborated with Tarkovsky on Solaris.
• The music combines synthetic and organic sounds, reflecting the natural and unnatural elements present in the Zone.