Canadian director Norman Jewison, who made the film "The Russians are coming", which "whitewashed" the Russian Federation, dies

The famous Canadian director, actor and producer Norman Jewison died at the age of 97 on Saturday, January 20. According to his biographer Jeff Sanderson, the filmmaker spent his last moments at his home in Los Angeles.

The cause of death remains undisclosed, as well as the details of the Canadian's funeral. According to CBR, it is rumored that the director died peacefully in his sleep.

What Norman Jewison was famous for

The Canadian filmmaker began his career in television, where he worked as an assistant director. During his seven years at CBC Television, he wrote and produced many musicals, comedy shows, dramas, and specials, but his real fame came from his films.

His first very successful project was The Cincinnati Kid (1965), a drama starring Steve McQueen that is considered one of the best films about gambling. Prior to that, the director had been making light comedies, but after his first successful experience, he turned to more serious topics.

The star's credits include such films as: The Thomas Crown Affair, Fiddler on the Roof, The Landlord, Soldier's Story, and Jesus Christ Superstar.

Norman Jewison wasn't afraid to take on crime dramas, highlighting the problems of racism and mocking panic amid the Cold War.

How the director "whitewashed" Russia in the eyes of Americans

In the midst of the global confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union, Norman Jewison released a satirical film, The Russians Are Coming! The Russians are Coming!" which was intended to ridicule the world's panic and show the Russians as "hostages of the situation".

The main message of the 1966 film is that Americans and Russians have been "artificially" put at odds and intimidated, even though both nations are good and can easily get along. Russians in the film are not shown as enemies of the United States, but as ordinary soldiers who found themselves in a difficult situation, made friends with American civilians, and even started an affair with a local woman.

It was the Russian audience that liked the film the most, although many Americans appreciated it and believed in the "friendly" intentions of the Russian people.

As for his political position, the director did not have clear views or did not express them publicly. He is connected to Ukraine through his film Fiddler on the Roof, which takes place in a village called Anatevka in 1905. It is divided into two parts: Ukrainian and Jewish, and later the characters also end up in Kharkiv.

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