Russian master Andrei Tarkovsky’s debut feature instantly set the tone for the director’s visionary style with this beautifully rendered, highly poetic depiction of innocence lost and youth destroyed by the horrors of war.

Ivan, a determined 12-year-old boy with an uncanny ability to slip quickly through enemy lines undetected, is working reconnaissance missions as a scout for the Russian army. But when - as his missions become increasingly dangerous - the military decide to pull him from his duties in order to send him to military school, Ivan insists on remaining on the front lines. Having witnessed both his parents and his sister killed at the hands of the Nazis his desire to remain at the forefront of the war is driven by an ulterior motive. His life exhausted by hatred, bloodshed and death, his soul has become rotten, as he is completely consumed by the desire for vengeance.

One of the most jarring and unforgettable depictions of the impact of war on children, Tarkovsky’s debut is amongst the most accomplished in cinema (the film won the Golden Lion award at the 1962 Venice Film Festival). An incredible film that proved the launch pad to the career that would in time become the most influential and admired in Russian filmmaking history.

• Ivan's Childhood is part of Sculpting Time: Andrei Tarkovsky - a retrospective of Tarkovsky's seven films which will form part of our forthcoming Cinema Rediscovered Festival. To register for updates please visit our Coming Soon page.

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