Andrei Arsenyevich Tarkovsky (Russian: Андрей Арсеньевич Тарковский, pronounced [ɐnˈdrʲej ɐrˈsʲenʲjɪvʲɪtɕ tɐrˈkofskʲɪj] ⓘ;[1] 4 April 1932[2] – 29 December 1986) was a Soviet[a] film director and screenwriter of Russian origin.[3] He has been widely considered one of the best directors in cinema history. His films explore spiritual and metaphysical themes and are known for their slow pacing and lo