Alexander Gordon—a film director and screenwriter—was connected with Andrei Tarkovsky from youth by both friendship and family ties. Studies at VGIK, the transformation of a promising director into a genius creator, the fierce struggle of the maker of “Andrei Rublev” and “Solaris” with the officials of Goskino—all this took place before the memoirist’s eyes. Using rich documentary material, A. Gordon portrays a passionate and uncompromising nature in everything, whether art or private life.