Slava Tsukerman obit

Slava Tsukerman, Director of Cult Indie Hit ‘Liquid Sky,’ Dies at 85

 

He was not on the list.

Slava Tsukerman, the Russian-born writer and director of the stylish 1982 cult hit “Liquid Sky,” died Monday. He was 85.

The video distributor Vinegar Sky was among those of his associates announcing his death.

Liquid Sky’s statement on social media said, “We are saddened to learn of the passing of Slava Tsukerman, director of the new wave classic LIQUID SKY. Slava was a true visionary and uncompromising artist who created an international sensation with SKY, helping to change art, fashion, and music forever.

In the nearly two years leading up to the release of LIQUID SKY, Slava, along with his wife and long-time collaborator Nina Kerova, often invited us to join them for meals and visits to the New York neighborhoods which inspired them, from the East Village to Brighton Beach. Their kindness made them a pleasure to work with and we are honored that they trusted us to restore and present Slava’s masterwork on home video.”

Tsukerman directed films in the Soviet Union and Israel before immigrating to New York in 1976.

“Liquid Sky,” starring Anne Carlisle, melded scenes of the downtown fashion and music world with a sci-fi plot about a UFO feeding on the energy of the Manhattan counter-culture. The film’s colorful aesthetics resonated with New Wave music fans of the era, who turned it into an indie hit, but its style was also influenced by the Russian background of Tsukerman and his wife Nina V. Kerova, who was co-writer.

J. Hoberman revisited “Liquid Sky” in the New York Times on the occasion of a 4K restoration, writing, “’Liquid Sky’ has a particularly Soviet quality. Not only is it a montage film with much parallel action, but the costumes, makeup, hair styles, production design and even the herky-jerky dances are also highly suggestive of Russia’s 1920s Constructivist avant-garde. Its true ancestor is the director Yakov Protazanov’s 1924 Soviet space opera, ‘Aelita,’ which, among other things, depicts a revolution on Mars.”

“Liquid Sky” surprisingly grossed $1.7 million on a $500,000 budget and remained on Variety‘s top-grossing film chart for more than six months.

Tsukerman went on to direct commercials and a music video for Nile Rodgers as well as indie films “Poor Liza,” with Lee Grant and Ben Gazzara, documentary “Stalin’s Wife” and “Perestroika,” with F. Murray Abraham, Sam Robards and Ally Sheedy.

Variety reviewed “Perestroika,” writing, “A deeply strange, breezily existential cocktail of Milan Kundera and Federico Fellini. The film is… touchingly funny, visually arresting and somehow a consistent joy to watch. Cult status and a cultivated following in the nooks and crannies of all venues where films are seen these days are indicated.”

In 2017, Tsukerman collaborated with Vinegar Syndrome on a making-of documentary, “Liquid Sky Revisited.”

He is survived by his wife.

Director

Liquid Sky Revisited (2017)

Liquid Sky Revisited

6.6

Video

Director

2017

 

Perestroika (2009)

Perestroika

4.4

Director

2009

 

Joseph Stalin and Nadezhda Alliluyeva in Stalin's Wife (2004)

Stalin's Wife

7.5

Director

2004

 

Poor Liza (2000)

Poor Liza

5.5

Director

2000

 

This Elusive Kramarov

TV Movie

Director

1994

 

Nile Rodgers: Let's Go Out Tonight (1985)

Nile Rodgers: Let's Go Out Tonight

Music Video

Director

1985

 

Liquid Sky (1982)

Liquid Sky

6.0

Director

1982

 

Of Jerusalem Stone

TV Movie

Director

1976

 

Iona and David Elin

Short

Director

1975

 

Russians in Jerusalem

TV Movie

Director

1974

 

Moscow Doesn't Answer

TV Short

Director

1973

 

Innokentiy Smoktunovskiy in Noch na razmyshleniye (1972)

Noch na razmyshleniye

Short

Director (as V. Tsukerman)

1972

 

Rozhdeniye novogo betona

Short

Director

1971

 

Otrkytiye professora Aleksandrova

Short

Director

1970

 

Poeziya rabochego udara

Short

Director

1970

 

Vaudeville on Vaudeville

TV Movie

Director

1970

 

Zhar kholodnykh chisel

Short

Director

1969

 

Bol'shiye kolokola

Short

Director

1967

 

Stroitel'nyye germetiki

Short

Director

1966

 

Veryu vesne (1962)

Veryu vesne

Short

Director (as V. Tsukerman)

1962

 

Writer

Liquid Sky Revisited (2017)

Liquid Sky Revisited

6.6

Video

Writer

2017

 

Perestroika (2009)

Perestroika

4.4

Writer

2009

 

Joseph Stalin and Nadezhda Alliluyeva in Stalin's Wife (2004)

Stalin's Wife

7.5

Writer

2004

 

This Elusive Kramarov

TV Movie

Writer

1994

 

Liquid Sky (1982)

Liquid Sky

6.0

original screenplay

1982

 

Of Jerusalem Stone

TV Movie

Writer

1976

 

Iona and David Elin

Short

Writer

1975

 

Russians in Jerusalem

TV Movie

Writer

1974

 

Moscow Doesn't Answer

TV Short

Writer

1973

 

Vaudeville on Vaudeville

TV Movie

Writer

1970

 

Veryu vesne (1962)

Veryu vesne

Short

writer (as V. Tsukerman)

1962

 

Dva mesyatsa truda (1961)

Dva mesyatsa truda

Short

text (as V. Tsukerman)

1961

 

Producer

Liquid Sky Revisited (2017)

Liquid Sky Revisited

6.6

Video

producer

2017

 

Perestroika (2009)

Perestroika

4.4

producer

2009

 

Joseph Stalin and Nadezhda Alliluyeva in Stalin's Wife (2004)

Stalin's Wife

7.5

producer

2004

 

Poor Liza (2000)

Poor Liza

5.5

producer

2000

 

This Elusive Kramarov

TV Movie

producer

1994

 

Liquid Sky (1982)

Liquid Sky

6.0

producer

1982

 

Iona and David Elin

Short

producer

1975

 

Moscow Doesn't Answer

TV Short

producer

1973

 

Composer

Liquid Sky (1982)

Liquid Sky

6.0

Composer

1982

 

Editor

Liquid Sky (1982)

Liquid Sky

6.0

Editor

1982

 

Soundtrack

Liquid Sky (1982)

Liquid Sky

6.0

lyrics: "Me and My Rhythm Box"

1982

 

Thanks

Lux Kapsaski, Sophia Disgrace, Tiffaney Wells, and Lee Mark Jones in Spidarlings (2016)

Spidarlings

3.9

special thanks

2016

 

Self

Without Your Head (2006)

Without Your Head

7.1

Podcast Series

Self

2018

1 episode

 

Liquid Sky Revisited (2017)

Liquid Sky Revisited

6.6

Video

Self

2017

 

On Filmmaking: An Interview with Slava Tsukerman

Video

Self

2017