Tarkovsky's diaries were widely reviewed and considered to be a valuable addition to the Tarkovsky canon. The diaries cover his work in the Soviet Union and the increasing difficulties he encountered there followed by his exile in Europe. They are professional and personal: thoughts on film sit alongside household chores, notes about friends and family. The diaries have been translated by Kitty Hunter-Blair. Andrey Tarkovsky was born in the Soviet Union in 1932 and trained as a film-maker at VGIK under the tutelage of Mikhail Romm. His films made in the Soviet Union include Rublev and Mirror. He left the USSR to live in France and Italy and his other films include The Sacrifice, Nostalgia, Stalker and Solaris.