Who directed the 1985 Soviet war film Come and See?

Elem Klimov directed the 1985 Soviet war film Come and See.

The film follows a Belarusian boy named Flyora during the Nazi occupation of Belarus in 1943. Rather than presenting war as adventure, Klimov depicts the psychological and physical destruction inflicted on civilians by occupation, reprisals, and mass violence.

Come and See was written by Klimov with Ales Adamovich, whose experiences and testimony about wartime Belarus helped shape the story. The title refers to a passage from the Book of Revelation, connecting the film’s imagery with visions of catastrophe and judgment.

The production is known for its intense sound design, subjective camera work, and use of Alexei Kravchenko as the young lead. The film is also called Idi i smotri in Russian. Its reputation has grown internationally, and it is frequently listed among the most powerful anti-war films ever made. It should not be confused with Soviet World War II epics directed by Sergei Bondarchuk, such as War and Peace.