Born in Melitopol, Ukraine, USSR (now Ukraine). Prominent Soviet director whose early works THE FORTY-FIRST (1956) -- a remake of Yakov Protazanov's silent film of the same name -- and BALLAD OF A SOLDIER (1959), regained international acclaim and acceptance for the Soviet Cinema. Chukhrai's films broke from the socialist realism of the Stalinist era, largely due to their sincerity, romanticism and humor.  Nominated for Writing (Best Story and Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) 1961: BALLAD OF A SOLDIER (w. Valentin Yoshov) 1 nomination