Andrei Tarkovsky (1932–1986) was a Russian film director, screenwriter and film theorist. He directed several student films, co-directed a documentary, and was the author of numerous screenplays, both for his own films and for those of other directors. He directed two stage plays and one radio production, played minor acting roles in several films, and wrote a book on film theory. In addition, Tarkovsky kept a diary (published posthumously) and appeared in, or was the subject of, several dozen documentaries on the history of cinema and the art and craft of filmmaking.