Ivan's Childhood

Tarkovsky’s debut, and a film which in many aspects feels a world away from the director’s formidable spiritual works to come. When twelve-year-old Ivan’s family is wiped out by Nazis, the youngster joins up with a Partisan troop to take revenge. A relatively simple – and at times lyrical – war-time tale enhanced by a range of cinematic effects. The perfect introduction to the filmmaker’s challenging oeuvre.