Viktor Fyodorovich Aristov was a renowned Soviet film director and screenwriter, born on June 9, 1943, in the village of Budyonny, Kyrgyz SSR. Prior to pursuing his passion for film, he worked in various roles, including a stage driver at the Dzhambul Regional Drama Theater, a track worker at the tram and trolleybus department in Leningrad, and a senior engineer at the A. Herzen Pedagogical Institute.
Aristov's formal education began in 1968 when he graduated in absentia from the directing department of the Leningrad State Institute of Theater, Music and Cinematography (LGITMIK). During his studies, he worked as an assistant to director Ilya Averbakh on the set of the film "Drama from Ancient Life" and as a second director alongside Alexey Herman, Sergei Mikaelyan, and Joseph Heifitz. He also made his acting debut in several films, including "Asthenic Syndrome" and "Learning the White World", directed by Kira Muratova, and "Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Bloody inscription" and "The Non-Returnee", directed by Igor Maslennikov and Sergey Snezhkin, respectively.
Aristov's breakthrough came in 1978 with the release of his short film "Brothers-in-Law", based on a story by Vasily Shukshin, which was initially released in 1987. In 1979, he wrote the script for the film "The Wife is Gone" directed by Dinara Asanova. His 1987 film "Gunpowder" earned him the Main Prize at the Leningrad Young Cinema Festival, followed by the psychological thriller "Satan", which won the Silver Bear prize at the 1991 Berlin Film Festival. Aristov's next film, "It's Difficult for the first hundred years", generated significant interest, and his subsequent work, the psychological thriller "Satan", won the Silver Bear prize at the 1991 Berlin Film Festival.
Tragically, Aristov passed away on January 2, 1994, during the production of his film "Rains in the Ocean", which was completed by Yuri Mamin. He was laid to rest at the Komarovsky cemetery in Komarovo village, St. Petersburg. Throughout his career, Aristov directed five films, showcasing his versatility and talent as a filmmaker.
