Editing Andrei Tarkovsky (section)

===Film school student===
Upon returning from the research expedition in 1954, Tarkovsky applied at the State Institute of Cinematography ([[Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography|VGIK]]) and was admitted to the film-directing program. He was in the same class as [[Irma Raush]] (Irina) whom he married in April 1957.<ref name=kompravda>{{cite news |first=Anastasia |last=Pleshakova |title=Тарковский был "разрешенным контрреволюционером" |trans-title= Tarkovsky was "a legal сounterrevolutionary" |newspaper=[[Komsomolskaya Pravda]] |date=4 April 2007 |url=http://www.kp.ru/daily/23881/65502/ |access-date=27 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080104174327/http://www.kp.ru/daily/23881/65502/ |archive-date=4 January 2008 |url-status= live}}</ref>

The early [[History of the Soviet Union (1953–1964)|Khrushchev era]] offered good opportunities for young film directors. Before 1953, annual film production was low and most films were directed by veteran directors. After 1953, more films were produced, many of them by young directors. The [[Khrushchev Thaw]] relaxed Soviet social restrictions a bit and permitted a limited influx of European and North American literature, films and music. This allowed Tarkovsky to see films of the [[Italian neorealism|Italian neorealists]], [[French New Wave]], and of directors such as [[Akira Kurosawa|Kurosawa]], [[Luis Buñuel|Buñuel]], [[Ingmar Bergman|Bergman]], [[Robert Bresson|Bresson]], [[Andrzej Wajda|Wajda]] (whose film ''[[Ashes and Diamonds (film)|Ashes and Diamonds]]'' influenced Tarkovsky) and [[Kenji Mizoguchi|Mizoguchi]].

Tarkovsky's teacher and mentor was [[Mikhail Romm]], who taught many film students who would later become influential film directors. In 1956, Tarkovsky directed his first student short film, ''[[The Killers (1956 film)|The Killers]]'', from a short story of [[Ernest Hemingway]]. The longer television film ''[[There Will Be No Leave Today]]'' followed in 1959. Both films were a collaboration between the VGIK students. Classmate [[Aleksandr Gordon]], who married Tarkovsky's sister, in particular directed, wrote, edited, and acted in the two films with Tarkovsky.

<!--An important influence on Tarkovsky was the film director [[Grigory Chukhray]], who was teaching at the VGIK. Impressed by the talent of his student, Chukhray offered Tarkovsky a position as assistant director for his film ''Clear Skies''. Tarkovsky initially showed interest but then decided to concentrate on his studies and his own projects.<ref name=kompravda/>-->
During his third year at the VGIK, Tarkovsky met [[Andrei Konchalovsky]]. They found much in common as they liked the same film directors and shared ideas on cinema and films. In 1959, they wrote the script ''Antarctica – Distant Country'', which was later published in the ''[[Moskovsky Komsomolets]]''. Tarkovsky submitted the script to [[Lenfilm]], but it was rejected. They were more successful with the script ''[[The Steamroller and the Violin]]'', which they sold to [[Mosfilm]]. This became Tarkovsky's graduation project, earning him his diploma in 1960 and winning First Prize at the New York Student Film Festival in 1961.