Looking for a Person (Russian: Ищу человека, romanized: Ishchu cheloveka) is a 1973 Soviet drama film directed by Mikhail Bogin.
The film is based on true stories about separation and meetings, about the search for loved ones, which continued many years after the Second World War.
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Plot
Set in the 1970s across Leningrad, Moscow, Klin, and Uzbekistan, the film follows people separated from loved ones during World War II who are now trying to reunite with them years later. At its center is Ivan Grigoryevich, a radio host (played by Oleg Zhakov) dedicated to helping people find missing family members through a national radio program. Having lost his entire family in 1942, Ivan, now retired, volunteers his time at the radio station, immersing himself in the hopes and struggles of others also seeking reconnection. The film presents multiple search stories, some successful, some disappointing, often relying on nothing more than faint childhood memories as clues.
One central storyline is that of Valentina Rudakova (played by Rimma Manukovskaya), who has been searching for her daughter Alla, whom she lost during the war. Valentina’s story weaves throughout the film as she meets several women who could potentially be her daughter. Despite repeated heartbreak and Ivan’s suggestion to end her search, Valentina remains determined. In the end, she forms a bond with Alla Kuznetsova (played by Liya Akhedzhakova), choosing to stay with her, even though she realizes that this Alla is not her biological child.
Cast
Oleg Zhakov as Ivan Grigorievich
Rimma Manukovskaya as Valentina Dmitrievna Rudakova
Eleonora Aleksandrova as Nina Lykova
Lyudmila Antonyuk as Nina's mother
Gennadiy Yalovich as Nina's brother
Liya Akhedzhakova as Alla Kuznetsova
Mikhail Asafov as Velekhov
Sergey Dreyden as architect
Natalya Gundareva as Klava
Lyudmila Ivanova as switchman
Valentin Nikulin as a visitor to the bath
Raisa Ryazanova as weaver